Obituary
Renee Friedman-Druzinsky
Beloved wife of Robert Druzinsky. Loving mother of Rachael (Milena Stosic) Druzinsky and Leah (Charles) Posner. Proud grandmother of Mia Stosic-Druzinsky and Harold Posner. Dear daughter of Beatrice (the late Eugene) Friedman.Dear sister of Ronald Friedman.
Renee was a tenacious advocate for social justice her entire life. In high school she was a draft counselor, a volunteer for HeadStart, and an organizer for Project 70. After high school she went to Northwestern University and then Washington University in St. Louis for Law School. In her third year of law school, she was the editor of the Urban Law Annual in 1980.
Renee spent her entire career working with the same group of attorneys. She joined Borge and Pitt, a firm that specialized in municipal finance. Renee has been in the Public Finance Department of Katten (Katten, Muchin, Rosenman) since the mid-1980's when Borge and Pitt merged with Katten. The focus of her work was municipal bonds to finance schools, hospitals, wind farms, and other large, non-profit organizations.
Outside of her work life, Renee was a very active supporter of social justice organizations, especially those focused on women and children. She was a longtime board member of EverThrive (Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition). Through her law firm, Renee supported Girls in the Game, an organization that seeks to empower young women through engagement in sports. She worked very hard to have her synagogue, B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim, become an early member of United Power for Action and Justice.
In addition to her demanding career and extensive volunteer work, Renee was an exceptional friend who nurtured many close, life-long relationships. Renee adored her husband Robert and they were a couple that personified a loving relationship. She was incredibly proud of her daughters, Rachael and Leah, who grew up to become strong, independent, educated women with their own children. Renee’s legacy will live on through her daughters and grandchildren.
Service Monday 12 Noon at B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim, 1201 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield. Interment Waldheim Jewish Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in her memory to Southern Poverty Law Center 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104, www.splcenter.org or EverThrive Illinois, 1006 South Michigan Ave., #200, Chicago, IL 60605, www.everthriveil.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com
Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals. www.chicagojewishfunerals.com