Shirlee Rosenberg

Obituary

Shirlee Jacobson Rosenberg, born December 4, 1926, was a first-generation American born to Sam (1898-1955), who emigrated from Romania, and Reva Adess Jacobson (1904-1971), who emigrated from Belarus.  The family lived on the west side.  She had two siblings, an older sister, Lillian Friedman (1924-2012), and a brother, Albert (Jackie) Jacobson, now 91, of Indio, California.

She graduated from Marshall High School in Chicago in 1944. There she met Melvin Rosenberg (1926-2021), her husband of 75 years.  After WWII, he was stationed in El Paso, Texas, and they spent time there after they married in Chicago on April 2, 1946, while he was on leave. Their first child (Don) was born in March, 1947, after they returned to Chicago, and their second (Alan, 1948-2002) in March, 1948. Their third child (Lauren, 1962-2011) was born in Chicago in 1962.

Talented in shorthand and as a typist, she worked for the Sears catalog division on the west side. Later she worked for Williams and Williams, a catalog business.  She was a reliable, dependable secretary for almost 40 years.

After their marriage, Melvin and Shirlee lived on Grenshaw Avenue off Independence Blvd and Roosevelt Road.  They moved to east Rogers Park on Touhy Avenue near Sheridan in 1954. They moved to Springfield Avenue in Peterson Park from 1958 to 1965, when they moved to Jerome Avenue in West Rogers Park. Their last move was to Northbrook in 1991-2021.  She resided at CJE Friend Center 2022-2024.

Their second child, Alan (1948-2002), was born when she was just 21 and he had many challenges that compromised his abilities. Working to meet Alan’s needs, they kept him at home until he was 20. Shirlee and Mel were constant visitors to his later residences at Little City in Palatine, IL, and Dwight Developmental Center, in Dwight, Illinois, where they continued to visit and participate in parent groups for years after his death.

For two decades, until it became too difficult to travel, Shirlee and Mel wintered in Delray Beach, FL. Often, family members traveled there to visit, but they missed being in Chicago with family.

Her life was exemplary of some core values – work hard without complaint, determination to accomplish what is needed, be outgoing and friendly to others, live up to what you are called upon to do, show up when you are needed, have a home always open for visitors, maintain steady routines, strength through adversity and never let adversity stop you, and devotion to family.  Extroverted by nature, she was a bundle of energy her entire life.  She has been a special presence for her grandchildren, all of whom are college graduates and accomplished, exemplifying values passed down from her and her husband.  

Shirlee was fastidious about her appearance, always stylish, always wearing complementary jewelry, always looking her best -- even in her later years when her eyesight was limited.

In her final two years, she was visited and well-attended to by her nieces, Cara Lovelace and Marcie Yablon, and her grandchildren and the devoted staff of the CJE Friend Center in Deerfield, where she spent the last 24 months of her long life.  She was happy there, a good state of mind for one's final years.  As she would say, We must go on."  

Shirlee Rosenberg, nee Jacobson, age 97, of Deerfield, formerly of Chicago and Northbrook. Beloved spouse for 75 years of Melvin G Rosenberg; loving mother of Don (Roberta) Rosenberg, the late Alan Rosenberg, and the late Lauren (Steve Winokur) Natkin Winokur; cherished grandmother of Noah (Donna Zulman) Rosenberg, Eli (Becky Sebert) Rosenberg, Janna (Chris) Wiese, and Austin (Jamie) Natkin; proud great-grandmother of Ezra, Sonia, Gabriel, and Ethan Rosenberg, and Lucas Natkin; dear sister of the late Lillian Friedman (the late Leonard Friedman, the late Bob Gershkowitz) Friedman and Albert (Jackie) Jacobson; devoted daughter of the late Sam and Reva Jacobson; loved by many relatives and friends. Well cared for by the staff at the CJE Friend Center and her extremely devoted nieces Care Lovelace and Marcie Yablon.  Service Sunday 11:00 at Shalom Memorial Park, Rand & Wilke Rds, Arlington Heights. The service will be livestreamed on Shirlee's webpage at www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Colon Cancer Coalition, www.coloncancercoalition.org. After the service, meet at her favorite restaurant, Max and Benny’s.  The Goldman Funeral Group (847) 478-1600 www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com