On Harold Cohen’s first day as a lawyer, he lost eight cases for an insurance company in Boston Municipal Court.

“He ended the day telling them he was going to go back to driving a cab,’’ said Bob Kalis, who knew Mr. Cohen for more than 50 years and had been his law partner.

Rather than cruise the streets of Boston looking for fares, however, Mr. Cohen kept practicing law in the Boston area for the next 60 years.

Mr. Cohen, who lived in Sharon for more than 40 years, died of congestive heart failure April 6 in the Orchard Cove retirement community in Canton. He was 88 and also formerly lived in Foxborough.

In the early 1960s, Mr. Cohen became a partner at Iddings, Kalis, and Cohen in Foxborough, where he worked until 1974. He handled mostly criminal and accident cases and worked with the New England Patriots’ former owner, Billy Sullivan, when he sold the football team.

Mr. Cohen’s partners said he was a rainmaker at the firm because he brought in business and gained the trust of clients.

“Harold was a very personable guy,’’ Kalis said. “Everyone loved Harold … and they liked to be with him.’’

Mr. Cohen was born and grew up in Dorchester. He graduated from Dorchester High School before joining the Navy in 1942.

His family said his goal was to fly planes, and in 1944 he earned his pilot wings.

“He was a crazy kid, and that just went with the territory,’’ said his brother Irwin of North Easton. “He used to jump off bridges… . It was a natural thing.’’

Piloting a PBY amphibious plane, Mr. Cohen was assigned to air rescue work during World War II and the Korean War.

At one point he served with Red Sox slugger Ted Williams during the Korean War and was proud of a photo he kept of the two of them together in their uniforms. By the end of his service, Mr. Cohen had risen to the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

“He always wore his wings whenever he went out,’’ his brother said. “He was always very proud of being in the Navy. It was a very important part of his life.’’

While serving in the Navy, Mr. Cohen married Rae Silverman in Chicago in 1951.

He graduated from Suffolk University with an associate’s degree and continued his studies at Suffolk University Law School in the early 1950s, rather than seek a bachelor’s degree.

Mr. Cohen graduated from law school in 1954 after interrupting his studies to return to service during the Korean War.

“He said, ‘If I can fly a plane in enemy territory, I can certainly go to law school,’ ’’ his brother said.

After Mr. Cohen passed the bar exam, he and his wife moved to Sharon to raise a family.

During his Navy career, he also worked in a judge advocate general’s office. One of his first cases as an advocate was to defend a Navy pilot who flew under the Brooklyn Bridge.

“He loved practicing law,’’ Kalis said. “He loved the camaraderie of the bar associations, just like he loved the camaraderie of the Navy pilots.’’

After the law firm broke up in 1974, Mr. Cohen continued to practice in Foxborough. He ended his career in 2010 by working on real estate closings for the Sharon Credit Union.

His wife died in 2006.

“He was a real people person and he loved helping people,’’ said his daughter, Leslie Ziegler of Webster, N.Y.

During his law career, Mr. Cohen served as an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County, specializing in aircraft and aviation matters. In 1969, George Burke, then the district attorney, singled out Mr. Cohen’s efforts for helping the office to greatly reduce its backlog of criminal cases.

Mr. Cohen also was a member of local and state bar associations. In addition, he was a former director of the New England Sinai Hospital and a former president of the Rotary Club in Foxborough.

“Everybody knew when he was there,’’ his brother Irwin said. “He lit up the room.’’

A service has been held for Mr. Cohen, who in addition to his daughter Leslie and brother Irwin leaves another brother, George of Natick; a sister, Norma Shereck of Boca Raton, Fla.; and two grandsons.

Two years ago, Mr. Cohen was part of a group of World War II veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., for a ceremony at the National World War II Memorial and an advance screening of part of the HBO miniseries “The Pacific.’’

“It brings back a lot of memories,’’ Mr. Cohen told The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro. “You lose so many good friends.’’

Michele Richinick can be reached at mrichinick@globe.com.