Obituary
Michael B. Goldberg, born September 30, 1949, passed away after a long, brave, and hard-fought battle against pancreatic cancer. He is survived by the love of his life, Sherry, his five children: Ronnie (Michelle), Lindsay (Kevin), Corey (Sara), Alison (Eric) and Bryan (Sami), his amazing grandchildren: Jonah, Drew, Jade, Maya, Danni, Theo, Emma, Reese and Samantha and his loving sister Susan, along with a countless number of family and friends. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey, and his parents, Josie and Dan.
Besides being the greatest husband, dad, uncle, and "Peeps", he was the most wonderful friend. His generosity towards everyone and especially for charitable causes was unparalleled. He was on the board of directors of Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF) and proudly gave more than 10 full four-year scholarships to send needy IDF combat soldiers to college. He was also a strong supporter of many other organizations including the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Autism Now, Helmets to Hardhats, Bravehearts, DADS, Juvenile Diabetes, MDA, University of Rochester, Leukemia Society, JUF, Michael Matters, Bear Necessities and various other cancer and heart related charities.
Michael was an avid sports fan. If he wasn't on the golf course, he could be found cheering for his beloved Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks. However, he found the most enjoyment in sports watching all of his children and grandchildren in their activities, rooting them on and encouraging them at their events which took him from Deerfield to Champaign.
Michael also left his mark with his business accomplishments. After putting himself through law school by driving a cab in Chicago, he founded Goldberg Weisman & Cairo in 1977. Due to his amazing ability to connect with people, GWC grew into the largest personal injury and worker's compensation law firm in Illinois. His standing and reputation in the organized labor community will continue long after his death. He not only represented so many different unions throughout Illinois, but became close friends with many union leaders and workers. Known for his humor and compassion, Michael knew how to captivate a crowd, and his skills as an orator were well documented. His goal in his professional life was to always protect the rights of injured workers and their families.
Throughout his career he received many honors including Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, LCCLA community service award, TNBC outstanding service award, GSO man of the year, ATU scholar award and Top Attorneys in Illinois by Chicago magazine.
Service Monday, 11AM at Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim, 1201 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield. Interment Shalom. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. www.rolfefoundation.org. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com
Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals. www.chicagojewishfunerals.com