This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

Stuart Cohen loved to explore the depths of human connection. And he did it in countless fleeting interactions — with passengers in his taxi.

As a New York City cabdriver for 25 years, Mr. Cohen thrived when chatting with passengers about subjects like the Kennedy White House or American politics. He once picked up former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld as a fare, according to a friend of Mr. Cohen’s, and inquired eagerly about his personal history and thoughts on politics, in a manner without social boundaries typical of a quintessential New Yorker.

Mr. Cohen died on April 8 at Coney Island Hospital. He was 73. The cause was respiratory failure as a result of the coronavirus, W.J. O’Reilly, a friend of 35 years, said.