Obituary
Frances Annette Altman passed away in Highland Park, Illinois, on October 22, 2023, at the age of 98. Her life was one of family and faith, accomplishment and love.
Born August 5, 1925, Frances nee Plotnick grew up in Chicago, one of three daughters of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. "Franny," "Bea" (Beatrice) and "Ruthie" (Ruth) enjoyed their childhood as their parents, "Izzy" (Isadore) and Jeanette (nee Gratch), worked hard during the Depression years to support their family. When just a teenager, Fran met the love of her life, Alvin Altman, also from Chicago, while the two were on family vacations in Union Pier, Michigan. They married on May 26, 1946, when "Franny" was 20 and "Alvie" was a 23-year-old man about to enter the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer.
Fran and Alvie were too much in love to be separated for long by military service. A year after Captain Alvin Altman was stationed in Japan, Fran traveled by ship to meet him there. The two lived in Tokyo as Alvie practiced dentistry, and in 1949, their first child-Jeffrey--was born.
Upon return to the United States, Fran and Alvie settled in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. They expanded their family to include two additional boys: Donald, born in 1952, and Andrew, born in 1958, plus several beloved dogs. Fran helped her husband develop his dental practice, which specialized in children. She also earned a master's degree in special education from the National College of Education and joined the staff of the St. Norbert Catholic School.
Fran and Alvie were dedicated to Judaism. Founding members of Beth El Synagogue, in Highland Park, they honored their religion with regular temple attendance, bar mitzvahs for their boys, celebrations of all the Jewish holidays, and candlelit Sabbath dinners every Friday evening. That's when Fran was in her element, preparing roast chicken and vegetables, to be served before homemade mandel bread, rugelach, and coffee cake. How she loved to cook and bake!...as well as entertain. Extended family members were frequent guests at the Altmans' beautiful Shabbat table.
Fran's love of Judaism was woven into daily life, especially with volunteer work during synagogue events. She took great delight in flowers and created beautiful arrangements for her home as well as temple functions. She will always be remembered for her garden and for her frequent strolls through the Chicago Botanical Gardens, near her home and close to her heart. She'll also be remembered for singing along with great joy as all her sons followed in Alvie's footsteps by playing the piano.
After Alvie's death in 1997, Fran devoted a great deal of time to traveling and visiting with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other relatives. She especially enjoyed hosting guests at her beautiful home, overlooking Lake Michigan. The charming white brick ranch house was built in 1949 and featured a tree-lined entrance and an extraordinary backyard, perfect for indoor-outdoor entertainment and relaxation. Fran was deeply connected to nature. She had a breathtaking view of the world and the changing seasons over the lake from her bedroom window. She loved observing the deer, squirrels, occasional red fox, and assortment of seasonal birds that visited her backyard. She also loved the flowers that bloomed and bemoaned sharing them with the deer, although secretly, she couldn't have been happier for their regular visits. Fran and Alvie bought the property in 1974, and Fran lived there until the day she died.
Fran is survived by her children, Jeffrey (Gerry), Donald (Caryn) and Andrew (Barbara); by her grandchildren, Daniel (Lisa), Eric, Katie, Abby Schwartz (Jeremy) and Jacob (Rebecca); and by her great-grandchildren, Vanessa, Aaron, Emilia, Ellie, Leo and Oliver.
The Altmans would like to acknowledge Joe Valente, a treasured longtime friend, for his loving assistance to the family. The family also greatly appreciates the caregiving provided by Sherrie Samodal for several years until the end of Fran's life.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Friends of Magen David Adom, www.afmda.org.
Private service arranged by Shalom Memorial Funeral Home. For additional information, and a link to view the service online, visit Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, www.shalommemorial.org, 847-255-3520