Esther R. Benjamin

Service : Friday, October 16th at 10:00 am
Service Location: Chapel Service
May Chapel, Rosehill Cemetery
5800 N. Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60060

Interment:
Rosehill Cemetery
Chicago, IL

Shiva Information

Home of Sally & Shep Young
555 Drexel Avenue
Glencoe, Illinois 60022

Following interment until 5:30 PM

Contributions
Chicago Commons
http://www.chicagocommons.org/donate

Esther Rosenthal Benjamin, PhD, passed away peacefully in her Highland Park, Illinois home at the age of 91.

Born on May 27, 1935, in Lake Charles, Louisiana and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Esther lived a life marked by determination, service, and steadfast devotion to her family. She embraced each season of life with purpose, quietly persevering through both opportunities and hardships while impacting the lives of many through her leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to community service.

She was the beloved wife of the late John Frederick Benjamin, devoted mother of Jack (Karen) Benjamin, Sally (Shep) Young, and Alan (Amy) Benjamin, and cherished grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of six. Although she was deeply involved in the community and committed to her pursuit of education, her family was always her greatest joy and the legacy she treasured most.

Esther grew up in the shadow of World War II and watched her older brother leave home to serve in the Army. The youngest of three children, she learned early the values of hard work, responsibility, and perseverance. Those qualities would characterize her throughout her life.

After graduating from high school, Esther enrolled at Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans. While there, she was introduced to her future husband, John, on a blind date. They married in 1955, and Esther willingly set aside her college education during her sophomore year to begin building a home and family together in the Chicago area. What might have seemed like the end of one dream became the beginning of another.

As a young wife and mother, Esther poured herself into both her family and the civic life of her community. She believed that caring for one’s community was a natural extension of caring for one’s family, and she gave generously of her time, energy, and leadership.

Over the years, she served on a wide range of boards in politics, the arts and social services, including several decades as a board member of Chicago Commons, a non-profit centered on underserved communities where for a time she led its Development Committee. She also served on the board of Chicago Sinai Congregation soon after it relocated to its current location on the north side of Chicago. Esther was also proud to support Michael Reese Hospital, where she co-chaired the 1970 Crystal Ball, helping to raise more than $225,000 for medical research. She later served as an officer of the Medical Research Institute Council and chaired its Education Committee, reflecting her longstanding commitment to improving the lives of others through education and medical research.

In addition to raising her family and serving her community, Esther participated in numerous study groups, enthusiastically introduced visitors to Chicago through the “Know Your Chicago” program, and welcomed international guests into her home and community through the International Visitors Center. She possessed an enduring curiosity about people and the world, coupled with a sincere desire to make both a little better.

Yet one dream remained unfinished. Having postponed her own education to marry and raise a family, Esther never abandoned her love of learning. As her children began leaving home for college, she decided to it was time to renew her academic pursuits. At the age of 42, she enrolled at Northwestern University and pursued her studies with the same determination that had marked every stage of her life. Over the course of 12 years, culminating in 1988, she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in sociology, concentrating her studies on women’s issues. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with additional high-level honors and went on to work as a sociological researcher for the Illinois Women’s Agenda. She presented widely on her work about the impact of class on the divorce experience and was active in a wide variety of professional associations, serving as organizer, chair or presenter at professional meetings.

As her children established families of their own, Esther devoted increasing time and energy to her growing circle of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The same determination, high standards, and steadfast love that had shaped her educational, civic and professional life were now invested in the next generations. She encouraged them to pursue excellence, challenged them to be their best, and loved them deeply.

In her later years, Esther courageously endured Alzheimer’s disease. Although the illness gradually stole many of her memories and her ability to communicate, it never diminished her dignity or the profound influence she had on those who loved her. Her family remained faithfully by her side, surrounding her with the same steadfast love and care she had shown them throughout her life.

Friends and family knew Esther as a woman of quiet resolve whose expectations were high, whose loyalty was unwavering, and whose love was often expressed more through her commitment and actions than through words. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the communities she strengthened, and the many lives she quietly influenced through a lifetime of perseverance, leadership, service, and love. She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever treasured.

A funeral will be held on Friday, October 16, 10 AM in the May Chapel at Rosehill Cemetery located at 5800 N. Ravenswood Avenue in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to Chicago Commons, or simply asks that those who knew Esther honor her memory by caring for others, investing in their communities, and extending compassion to those in need.