Isak Gerson Obituary

Gerson, Isak Isak V. Gerson of Chicago, Illinois, a designer of a welding systems, some used in the Apollo Mission, and a great supporter of the arts in Chicago and New York City, died April 19 at age 90. His daughter Susan Haskins-Doloff announced his death., saying the cause was septic shock and pneumonia after a brief illness. Isak was born in Athens, Greece in 1929. As a teenager, he survived the Holocaust by escaping with his family from Nazi-controlled Greece to Turkey. After the war, he came to the USA to attend Union College and went on to earn a Masters degree in engineering from Princeton University. He then was brought to Chicago to work as an electrical engineer for Sciaky Brothers. In 1964, he met his wife, Nancy, at a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert. They married and built a fulfilling life together, supporting the arts, traveling the world and raising their beloved daughter Amy Kynaston, who tragically died in a horse-riding accident in 2011. They also continued to go to weekly CSO concerts for the rest of their marriage. (After Nancy's death in 2018, he went on attending the concerts by himself until Covid19 shut the symphony down.) Isak was also a major supporter of The Oriental Institute and The Art Institute, where he was instrumental in the founding The Art Institute's Classical Arts Society. Isak is survived by his daughter, Susan, and son-in-law, Steven Doloff of Manhattan; his sister, Vicky Pilo, and brother-in-law, Albert Pilo; his nephew, Jaky Pilo; Jaky's wife, Tammy, and their children, ZoLior, Noy and Itai; his niece, Eden Pilo, and her daughters, Gaia and Zoe, all living in Israel, as well as nieces and nephews in the USA, including Elizabeth Ruml and her children, Dr. Christina Saltman, her children Alex and Jami and Alison Leithner and her children Greyson and Annaliese; Sarah Hopkins Samore and her children, Theo, Sam and Eliza Samore; Jay Hopkins; Terry Hopkins, his wife Mandy and his daughters Rebecca and Marina; Thomas Hopkins and his son, the actor Ben Hopkins; plus David J. Ruml and his sons, Carter Ruml, esq., his children Hollings and Whit; Winthrop Ruml, his three sons, and Alden Ruml. The Funeral will be live streamed on Tuesday at 1:30PM CST https://bit.ly/IsakGerson Instead of flowers, contributions can go to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation of Chicago or the Negaunee Music Institute of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com Sign Guest Book at legacy.suntimes.com