by Adam Ghassemi
GALLATIN, Tenn. – Doctor Gary Cohen posted a photo from Destin, Fla. on Facebook over the weekend, but Monday while flying a 1989 Mooney aircraft the couple crashed in Cullman County, Ala. north of Birmingham.
"He's truly the definition of a pillar of this community," Mark Linn said who has lived next door to the Cohens for years.
Linn can't believe people so full of life, and always concerned about others won't be coming home from vacation. "I look at the road and look at their house and I think, I mean, to think they're not going to be there or see them drive down the road again it's surreal still," he said.
Cohen is best known for his Hendersonville-based orthodontic practice Smile Construction.
"There's a lot of smiles out there that are straight today from his work," Linn said.
His wife Nancy Cohen was a long time pharmacist at Gallatin's Perkins Drugs & Gift Shoppe.
"She was just incredible and she'll be severely missed by everyone," said co-worker John Deason.
Employees are dealing with the loss by wearing black ribbons in the couple's honor.
Deason says Nancy sent a text message when the weather seemed too severe to fly.
"They had to abort their first take-off and so they were just the Lord's protection in knowing what to do in the next flight," Deason said.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash, but initial reports show Cohen was in contact with air traffic control in Atlanta and sent a "mayday" because of the bad weather.
While details of the crash emerge people are remembering a couple, they say, was always willing to help others.
"It's a true loss to our community to not have them here now," Linn said.
The Cohens were very active members at First Baptist Church Hendersonville. We're told their children are on their way to the mid-state to make funeral arrangements.
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