Donald Louis Cohn OBITUARY
Donald Louis Cohn, 93, died on May 2, 2025, after a short illness. He ed away at the UC San Diego hospital in La Jolla. Don had been an influential apartment builder in San Diego and the creator and owner of DataQuick Information Systems, the first online real estate information business in the United States. He was quite involved in the business and cultural life of San Diego, serving on boards and donating to a vast array of nonprofit organizations.
Don was born in Detroit, MI, in 1931, to parents Manual and Minnie Cohn. He had one brother, Leslie. When he was two years old, his family moved to Eureka, CA. At age ten, they moved to San Francisco, where Don went to Lowell High School and then moved on to San Jose State, followed by one year at Boalt Hall Law School in Berkeley. Don served in the US Army for two years at Los Alamos, NM, as a code specialist.
Following his service, he moved to San Diego in 1961 in search of new business opportunities. It was here he began building large apartment complexes in Chula Vista, La Mesa, Hillcrest, and Clairmont, constructing over 3000 residential units by 1975. In addition to apartments, Don had been the managing partner of the Kona Kai Club on Shelter Island in the 1970s. Don loved to learn the intricacies of a development deal. He knew how to follow through on each project to completion and was consulted by friends and partners on his expertise. “He was fearless. He taught me so much about life and business all the way to the end of his life. Don was my family, mentor, partner and friend.” said his stepson Matt Sumek. Don always had a twinkle in his eye and found the time to have a good talk with anyone he happened upon. He was always interested in his friends and their families and went out of his way to inquire after their health and what they were up to in their lives. He always had a great story or joke about the history of San Diego. His son, Jon, commented, “I’ve been reflecting this last week on the lessons my father taught me, and more than anything, the most important piece of wisdom he imparted to me was to always be curious. Not just asking questions, but more importantly, following up with, how can I help?”
In 1978, Don decided he wanted a different direction for his business life and created DataQuick Information Systems, the first company that would accumulate all public information on real estate from all over the country and centralize it into one source for the easy use of government, realtors, and consumers. DataQuick went from microfiche to computer dial-up, and revolutionized the search for all real estate information to be simply attainable from one source. He sold DataQuick to Acxiom Corp. in 1996.
Don met his wife, Karen Cohn, a San Diego native, in 1978. They married in February of 1980. In 1982, Don and Karen bought 250 acres of land just east of Ramona and built a thoroughbred facility, Ballena Vista Farms. It was a ion project for Don, who had been a competitive horse rider as a teenager in San Francisco. The Cohn family ran a state-of-the-art breeding, training, and lay-up facility for over 30 years. The facility even trained the Kentucky Derby-winning horse, I’ll Have Another. In 2013, he expanded his farm to create a beautiful vineyard, which now spans over 40 acres. Don made a point to enjoy the beauty and peace at the farm until his ing.
In 1983, Don and Karen moved from Del Mar to La Jolla to the house where Don spent the remainder of his life. In 1986, Don and Karen welcomed their son Jonathan into their family. During this time, they became very involved in La Jolla and San Diego Arts and Education. Both served, at separate times, as President of the Old Globe Theatre. Don spearheaded the fundraising for the remodeling of the Globes theaters and education center. He was involved in bringing the classic play, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” to the stage, where it has remained a yearly holiday classic to this day. His wife, Karen, ed, “Don loved to read, on the weekends and in the evening, if he wasn’t checking with a call on family or friends, he was reading. He was always learning. He was a great inspiration in his love of knowledge and his retentive memory. He was better than Google for some arcane pieces of history. He was such a complex and loving man.”
Don’s contributions didn’t stop with the arts, as he also had a ion for science. He was a board member of the Salk Institute, and after an injury while traveling to Antarctica, he was operated on by brain surgeon Dr. Alex Khalessi. Afterward, Don founded the Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery at UC San Diego, making Dr. Khalessi the inaugural Chair. “Don was larger than life,” said Dr. Alexander Khalessi. “Even in moments of personal challenge, his smile lit up the room. Don remained focused on how his experience could improve the lives of others. He was an inspiring friend.”
Don served on the board for The Salk Institute, Nudj, Renova, and Auxilium. Along with a long era of ing The Old Globe Theatre, the Cohns also contributed to the local of KPBS, the San Diego Symphony, the Humane Society of San Diego, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego. As much as Don enjoyed giving to his favorite arts and sciences, he was also ionate about giving on a personal level. He was never shy to his friends and their families by helping pay for homes, cars, and education.
He is survived and missed by his wife, Karen, his son, Jon, his stepson and stepdaughter-in-law Matt and Karen Sumek and granddaughter Tessa Sumek, along with his niece and nephews, Mark and Steve Cohn, and Alexis Lewin. There is a private service planned to honor Don in June.
In lieu of flowers, Don would encourage any who wish to commemorate his life by donating to The Old Globe Theatre, The San Diego Humane Society, or UC San Diego Gift Services Neurosurgery Fund (E-1612) in memory of Don Cohn.
