North Shore Death Notices: Sept. 16 To Sept. 22

The following death notices were added to funeral homes serving the North Shore area in the past week. Those homes have provided obituaries for some of those that have passed away recently. Patch offers condolences to their loved ones, links to their obituaries and notices of upcoming services below.

Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home, 1787 Deerfield Road in Highland Park

Edward Capitani, 85, Highwood
Visitation and service Sept. 27

Stanley M. Freehlin, 95, Highland Park

Joanne Copetas née Pazos, 84, Northbrook

Loretta “Loli” Gina Manfredini née Fontanini, 56, Highland Park

Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home, 858 Sheridan Road in Highwood

Augustus Dupree Williams Jr., 89, Waukegan
Visitation Sept. 27, service Sept. 28

Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Ave. in Lake Forest

Roger Bradford Hull, 89, Lake Forest
Service Sept. 24

Susan Loving Gravenhorst, 87, Lake Bluff

Dorothy Januz, 87, Lake Forest

Nancy Lou Hughes, 68, Lake Forest

Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Henry Coretz, 100, Skokie
Service Sept. 23

Sylvia Fishman, 94, Chicago
Service Sept. 23

Sheldon Rosing, 87, Chicago
Service Sept. 23

Frida Shabadash, 86, Chicago
Service Sept. 23

David Lowis, 81, Vernon Hills
Service Sept. 26

Eileen T. Hoffman, 86, Chicago
Service Oct. 6

Elyse B. Miller, Lincolnwood
Services pending

Anna Mystrikova, Wheeling
Services pending

Bernard Simon, 101, Highland Park

Shirley Karbin, 84, Buffalo Grove

Harriette Shevin, 81, Skokie

Ruth Eisenberg, 71, Buffalo Grove

Donnellan Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Yvonne Michel, 82, Evanston
Visitation and service Sept. 24

Peter P. Bodi, 89, Lincolnwood
Service Oct. 12

Heather Rodelius, 57, Evanston
Service pending

Martha Jane George née Winkler, 91, Wilmette

Haben Funeral Home, 8057 Niles Center Road in Skokie

Peter Dogiakos, 64, Skokie
Service Sept. 25

Simkins Funeral Home, 6251 Dempster St. in Morton Grove

Patrick McDonough Jr., 71, Des Plaines

Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home, 111 Skokie Blvd. in Wilmette

Anatoly Snitkovsky, 91, Chicago
Service Sept. 23

Julius "Juj" Schoneberg, 99, Skokie

Lois B. Greenberg, 93, Highland Park

Alvin D. Star, 94, Evanston

Boris Medovnik, 72, Deerfield

Gregg Reitmeister, 56, Chicago

Jack Alton Kruger, 22, Glenview

Thompson Funeral & Cremation Services 1917 Asbury Ave. in Evanston

William "Billie" Jones
Visitation and service Sept. 28

N. H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Road in Glenview

Enie Fucak née Bradetich, 92, Wilmette

Fred H. Lehman, 75, Lincolnshire

Charles "Chuck" Persanti, 65, Northfield

Featured Obituary:

Susan Loving Gravenhorst, a distinguished elected official, civic volunteer, University of Illinois Trustee and Lake County Commissioner died on the 15th of September.

Mrs. Gravenhorst was born in Effingham, Illinois on October 1, 1931, to Harold and Julia (Highsmith) Loving. An only child and bright student, she skipped the third grade and graduated from Effingham High School as class valedictorian at the age of sixteen. Although she had been accepted to two Seven Sisters colleges, her father felt her too young to attend school so far away and instead attended Stephens College for Women (Columbia, MO). Upon graduation in 1950 her parents allowed her to move on to the school she really wanted to attend, the University of Illinois. In 1952 she received a B.A. degree in English from Illinois with a credential in secondary school teaching and a minor in Speech.

On Valentine’s Day 1953, she married a man she had first dated at Illinois, Albert D. Gravenhorst. They moved around the country a bit as he pursued a career in advertising and while she taught English, journalism and speech in junior high and high schools in Atlanta, Des Moines, Birmingham (MI), Cleveland and Dallas and finally Lake Forest, IL. In the mid 60’s together with her husband, she founded Gravenhorst & Associates, Inc., a publisher’s rep firm based in Chicago, where she served as CFO and Treasurer for over thirty-five years.

While living in Lake Forest she became involved with and led as President many community organizations: President Cherokee School PTA, President, Lake Forest PTA, President, Lake Forest High school Volunteer Board, President, Panhellenic, Lake Forest Symphony Associations’ Women’s committee, Lake Bluff/Lake Forest Committee of the Arden Shore Association, Lake Forest Hospital Women’s Board, President KV Chapter PEO, President of Mary and Martha Guild, Faith Lutheran Church, Board Member Friends of Gorton Community Center.

She became active in local politics first serving as the President of the Women’s Republican Club of Lake Forest and then ran for the Lake Forest Caucus. She served on the Caucus for eight years. Her political career progressed to the county and district level. She served as the State Central Republican Committeewoman for Illinois’ 10th Congressional District 1982-1998 and was also a member of the Lake County Republican Federation Board of Governors 1968-1984.

In 1984 she decided to combine her interests in (i) education, (ii) the University of Illinois and (iii) politics by running un-slated – then unheard of – as a Republican candidate for the University’s Board of Trustees. She prevailed in both the primary and the general election. And was the first Republican woman to win statewide office in Illinois- paving the way for Corrine Wood, Judy Baar Topika and many others. She was re-elected in 1990 and, after the Board shifted from elective to appointive, was appointed to a third term by Governor Jim Edgar in 1996. She served for eighteen years. In 1998, she was elected Chairman of the University Board and, consequently, her signature is on the diplomas of thousands of students who graduated during the 1998-2000 timeframe. She chaired most of the committees of the Board and was the first woman to Chair the Committee on Athletics. She also served as a Board member of the University of Illinois Foundation and its President’s Council and the State Universities Civil Service Merit Board.

In 1999 at its annual convention in Seattle, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges honored her with its Distinguished Service Award in Trusteeship for the “best volunteer service to public higher education.” This award is given annually to a leader in college and university stewardship.

In 2002 after retiring from the University’s Board, she moved from the state to the local level and ran for Lake County Commissioner and won, then won re-election and served Lake Forest/Lake Bluff for eight years, retiring at 80 years of age in 2012. She never lost an election in her entire career.

Mrs. Gravenhorst was well known for her lifetime extensive and dedicated service to the communities of Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, Lake County, The Republican Party of Illinois and the University of Illinois. At the time of her death, she was a member of Knollwood Club, Delta Gamma Sorority and PEO.

She was predeceased by her husband, Alby, and is survived by(i) a son, Hugo (Terese) Gravenhorst of Chicago, (ii) two daughters, Suzanne Gravenhorst of Waukegan and Jane (Lars). Soderberg of Cherry Hills Village, CO and (III) five grandchildren Abigail (Ian) Strug, Eleanor Gravenhorst, Lars A. Soderberg, Anders Soderberg and Bradley Soderberg.

Services were held. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the University of Illinois Foundation in honor of Susan Gravenhorst, 1305 W. Green St, Urbana, IL 61801.

via Wenben Funeral Home »

Last week: North Shore Death Notices: Sept. 9 To Sept. 15