Richard Sidney Mesirow

Richard Sidney Mesirow

Passed away November 9, 2020 at the age of 83. Although Richard's last few years were greatly impacted by his illness, it is not surprising to those of us who loved him, that Richard never once lost his smile, the twinkle in his eye, his delight at seeing us or his incredibly good nature. He faced his health challenges as he faced life, with dignity and grace.

Richard was blessed to have in his life, and is survived by, his loving and devoted wife of 30 years, Sara Mesirow, his children, Debbie (Joe) Kasle, Sheryl Sachs, Steve (Lori) Mesirow, Mark (Amy Jacksic) Shevitz, Brian (Karen O'Sullivan) Shevitz and grandchildren, Ari (Stephanie), Nick (Jami), Lucas, Jeremy, Jennifer, Benjy, Bailey, Meagan, Max, Daniel, Brandon, Jacob, Claudia, Hailey and Addie. He was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law Judith and Elliott Cohen and his parents, Freda and Norman Mesirow.

After graduating from Northwestern University, Richard joined Mesirow Financial as its 10th employee. He vowed to continue the legacy of his father, who founded the firm based on the following three tenets: hire good and ethical people and leave them alone, treat the clients as you would like to be treated and give back to the community because it is the right thing to do. Richard succeeded spectacularly in this task and is remembered in the financial community, by his clients and by his co-workers as an honorable man with great integrity. In addition to the joy he received helping his clients, Richard also loved his family, his friends and his life. He delighted in being a husband, a father and a grandfather.

One of Richard’s most endearing traits and what will surely be his enduring legacy was his desire to help others. It was a central core of his being. He gave his time and resources to the Jewish United Fund of Chicago and the Rolfe Pancreatic Foundation. But he truly made his mark and felt the most joy when he was able to help someone on a more personal, hands-on level. Though he was soft-spoken and unassuming, Richard made quite an impact on his family, his friends, his community and those who were fortunate enough to cross his path along the way. He led by example, making sure we always felt his love, and instilling in each of us his values of honesty, integrity, the importance of family and helping others. Although he will be greatly missed, his legacy will live on through those that were lucky enough to know him.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to his caretakers, Emil and Rey, who went above and beyond the call of duty by making sure Richard always received the best possible care.

To keep everyone safe and healthy, the interment service will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 www.alz.org or The Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, 4809 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 326, Chicago, IL 60640 www.rolfefoundation.org . In addition, we know Richard would feel strongly about flipping the United States Senate so a donation to Fair Fight, 1270 Caroline Street Suite D120-311 Atlanta, GA 30307 www.fairfight.com in his memory would also make him smile!

We would love to hear any stories or memories you would like to share about Richard. We are making them into a book for Richard’s grandchildren and great grandchildren to know how truly special he was. To view the service please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com