North Shore Death Notices: May 3 To May 9

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.

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

Steven J. Schira, 81, Lincolnshire
Service May 15

Bernice P. Witten, 91, Highland Park

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Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home, 858 Sheridan Road in Highwood and 11 West Belvidere Road in Grayslake

Edmond Ernest Ackermann, 71, Villa Park
Service May 12

Leda Maria Nardini née Dell'Omodarme, 89, Highwood

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Reuland & Turnbough Funeral Home, 1407 N. Western Ave. in Lake Forest

Roger J. Mohr, 89, Lake Forest
Service May 15

Michael J. McKiernan, 65, Lake Forest

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Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Ave. in Lake Forest

Jane Sullivan Baylor, 91, Lake Forest

James "Jim" Robert Hulseman, 66, Lake Forest

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Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie and 195 N. Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove

Gloria Levin née Garber, 96, Northbrook

David Kost, 95, Niles

Selwyn Weiss, 94, Lincolnwood

Sheila Slakter, 90, Niles

Sharon Karlin, 80, Chicago

Madeline Cilman née Graff, 79, Northbrook

Reah Feinartz-Hohman née Siegel, 74, Chicago

Art Azen, 72, Wheeling

Marlene S. Hirsch née Turek, 69, Fox River Grove

Jack Lipsitz, 68, Evanston

Eliezer "Ellie" Kaplan, 63, Chicago

Lisa Ellen Bendoff, 61, Evanston

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Donnellan Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Kathy A. Stutz, 64, Chicago
Visitation May 15

Adelaide G. Hughes née Gartner, 91, Wilmette

Anne Weiss née Lang, 87, Glenview

Jay S. Kramer, 77, Glenview

James H. Babler, 76, Chicago

Keith Kwok, 66, Long Grove

Amy Molitor née Casady, 66, Skokie

Peter J. Flood, 64, Evanston

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Haben Funeral Home, 8057 Niles Center Road in Skokie

Marie M. Kamps, 107, Skokie

Loretta M. Linder née Meier, 98, Skokie

Josepha Hess née Huber, 87, Skokie

Ronald A. Juern, 86, Glenview

Douglas Herbert Hardy, 83, Evanston

Alfredo P. Roque, 82, Lincolnwood

Kenneth J. Burmeister, 50, Glenview

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Evanston Funeral and Cremation, 1726 Central St. in Evanston

Jerome Thomas Shilling, 77, Lincolnwood

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

Jerry Pierre, 84, Grayslake

Christopher P. Curcio, 79, Glenview

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Simkins Funeral Home, 6251 Dempster St. in Morton Grove

Lois Gerber, 80, Chicago

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

Mayya Pritykina, 92, Chicago
Service May 11

Mildred Adler née Kropifko, 94, Glenview

Morton R. Friedman, 87, Glencoe

Walter D. Weiss, 86, Deerfield

Roger B. Harris, 83, Chicago

Raymond H. Moss, 80, Des Plaines

Charles "Chip" Sincere, 79, Chicago

Gwenyth Paler, 45, Carson City, Nevada

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Featured Obituary:

Dr. James H. Babler, age 76, died May 2, 2021 from a stroke at Amita St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. Jim was the loving and brilliant son of the late Dr. Bernard and Berenice. Jim is survived by his dear sisters, Susan Powers (Robert), Maribeth and Pamela; his nephews Dr. Robert (Cathy), Michael (Magdalena), Stephen (Kelly) and James (Sabina, deceased) and grand nephews and nieces, Liam, Laura, Ryan, Xavier, Celia and Matthew.

Jim’s teaching career and expertise focused on Organic Chemistry as he followed in the footsteps of his late father, a Professor of Analytical Chemistry. Jim always excelled in school starting with St. Jerome grammar school in Rogers Park, Loyola Academy in Wilmette and Loyola University Chicago, graduating in 1966. Jim was a National Science Foundation Trainee recipient from 1966-1967 and a National Institute of Health Predoctoral Fellow from 1967-1970 when he was in the graduate school at Northwestern University where he received his PhD. Dr. Babler then returned to Loyola U. and for more than 40 years pursued his research related to the manufacture of various chemicals resulting in 75 published articles and numerous US and foreign patents. Because several of these patents were licensed, Dr. Babler utilized the royalties to sponsor student scholarships through his “Dr. James Babler Needs-Based Chemistry” Scholarship fund which currently is aiding three students per year. Dr. Babler also taught organic chemistry to more than 17,000 undergraduate biology and chemistry majors, many of whom went on to medical and dental school. Jim was well known for his humor, his distinctive way of speaking and his evocative presentation style. Students would often compete to see who could best impersonate him. Countless numbers of alumni remember the positive impact Jim had in their careers. In the Jesuit tradition, Jim’s teaching was true cura personalis.

Rev. Thomas Regan SJ, former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola U, recalled “Jim was a powerful teacher of his students both inside and outside his classroom. He wanted them to excel not only in chemistry but also in life. Jim remained in contact with hundreds of Loyola graduates. Through the Babler scholarship that he created and endowed, so many students were able to afford a Jesuit education that otherwise would not be available to them. His great legacy will live on through them”

Dr. Rooney, the President of Loyola University, noted “As a chemist, Jim was certainly a prolific inventor, receiving over 100 patents for his work. Yet, his most enduring legacy resides in the generations of students who learned Organic Chemistry from him. He selflessly shared his unequaled technical knowledge along with his lifelong passion, inspiring these same students to transform lives through service.“

Jim retired from teaching and research in 2014. His outstanding achievements in organic synthesis were also recognized by the scientific community by naming a reaction after him, the "Babler Oxidation” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babler_oxidation). Dr. Jim Babler’s chemical erudition, love for Loyola University and its students, and teaching dedication will be sorely missed, but remembered dearly.

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Send obituaries and images to your Patch to be included in future editions: Deerfield, Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park, Lake Bluff-Lake Forest, Niles-Morton Grove, Northbrook, Skokie, Winnetka-Glencoe-Northbrook, Wilmette-Kenilworth

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Last week: North Shore Death Notices: April 26 To May 2