Esther Ruskin Obituary

Ruskin, Esther of Venice, FL, formerly of Chicago, IL, our dearest mother and wife, our best friend, our most honest critic, lover and mentor to us all, died peacefully Friday, November 3rd, at Venice Regional Hospital. She had been stricken eight days earlier on October 27th, by a catastrophic cerebral hemorrhage from which she never awakened and never recovered. At her death, she was with her loved ones: husband Phil; and her three children, Liz Goodman of Lakeland, FL, Peter Ruskin of Chicago and Jane Holtz of Schaumburg, IL. Esther was born in Chicago on September 16, 1925. She attended primary and high schools in Chicago, received her baccalaureate (a BA in Education) from Northwestern University in 1945. In 1960, she returned to her studies, winning a Master's degree at the University of Chicago. By then she had married Phil and had borne 3 children. She and Phil would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary December 21st. During her career in education, Esther taught school (both primary and secondary) at the Chicago Public School System, at Jewish Day Schools in the Chicago area, at public schools in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan and in Denver Colorado. She was an Instructor in English at the University of Illinois, and taught ESL to recent immigrants at Oakton College in Skokie Illinois. She worked as a bursar at DeVry College in Chicago. She had also functioned as an academic counselor at Columbia College Chicago (a job she enjoyed immensely). A few years previously she worked as Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School at Northeastern Illinois University. She was a highly accomplished and esteemed practitioner in her field of education. Esther and Phil were eager travelers. They had hoped to visit every continent on Earth, but had been to "only" 6 of the 7, missing only Antarctica. But she had traveled several times to places she considered her favorites. She had been to Australia 4 times, to Singapore twice, once to the Galapagos Islands, to the United Kingdom at least 7 times, after having lived there with Phil and her first two children for a period of almost two years (he had taken employment there in advertising for television). Besides her husband, Phil Ruskin, and her three magnificent children (of whom she was inordinately proud, and whom she loved unconditionally), she was as passionately fond of her six grandkids and one great-grandchild as they were of her. They gave uncritical and unending love back to her a thousand fold. According to her express wishes, she will be cremated and her ashes returned to Chicago, where she hopes for them to be buried next to her beloved mother-in-law. There will be no funeral and no memorial services. The family will be sitting Shiva, the traditional habit amongst Jewish families, so as to accommodate those who wish to express their condolences to the family, and to make it easier for them to grieve with Esther's family. The family will be sitting Shiva at 1381 E. Thacker St., Schaumburg, IL on Sunday and Monday, November 12-13. You will honor Esther and the family with your presence. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Greater Chicago Food Depository.