Erika Cornelisen Obituary

Cornelisen, Erika Fran

Erika Fran Cornelisen, 45, resident of Chicago, IL, devoted daughter of Carol, nee Oyster and Robert Cornelisen, beloved wife of Eno Rocha and mother of Atticus Javier and Cora Jean, loving sister of Dana (Sandra) and Chris (Amy), proud aunt of Ava, Jordan, Zoey, Victoria, Abigail, Zachary, and Madeline, loved niece and cousin to many, and cherished friend to countless. Classical musician, professional double bassist, executive director of The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, and seasoned world traveler who resided in South Africa, the Netherlands, Brazil, and multiple states in the US. Passionate advocate for social justice and science. Erika triumphantly defied stage 4 breast cancer for 4 years and 4 months, a journey she navigated with courage, optimism, tenacity, and unfathomable grace, during which she ensured the research conducted and discoveries made through her treatment would benefit others who follow her. Erika passed away at home October 7, 2021 in the loving presence of her husband, children, and friends. A celebration of life service will be held at Park Ridge Community Church at 1:00pm on November 7, 2021, located at 100 Courtland Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068. In lieu of flowers, tribute donations can be made to METAvivor at www.metavivor.org, and any of The Alvin H.Baum Fund's grantees which can be found at www.baumfund.org/recent-grants/. more information about the service, RSVPing, and livestreaming can be found at www.eventcreate.com/e/celebration-of-life-for-eri.

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