Funeral Details

Gayla B. Cahan, Age 68, passed away on March 10, 2024 after a courageous fight with breast cancer.

Gayla grew up in Wilmette where she attended New Trier High School. She went on to graduate from Northwestern University with a B.S. degree in dental hygiene. She married her high school sweetheart, Joel Cahan, in 1980.

"She has been my loving partner for 52 years," he said. "We shared many interests, which made for an active life of tennis, biking, skiing and hiking. She loved nature and knew the names of many trees, flowers and birds; she knew how to appreciate the small things in life."

They moved to Flossmoor in 1987, where they raised their three children and were active in the Jewish community. Gayla served as president of Temple B’nai Yehuda (now Shir Tikvah) and was a Hebrew school teacher. In addition, she was a dental hygiene instructor at Prairie State College, Girl Scout leader, volunteer, excellent baker and a beloved friend to many.

But of all of her roles, the one Gayla relished the most was as mother to Miriam (Ted Nissly), Noah (Jamie Gorosh), and Joshua (Brittany Abramowicz) and Bubbe to Hannah, Benjamin, and Jacob Nissly and Maya Cahan.

Her children describe her as "fiercely devoted" to her family. “She provided us with endless love and support and was the center of our home and lives growing up,” said Miriam.

Noah recalled her love of learning and how even after her diagnosis, she embraced a new sport, becoming a dedicated team member of R.O.W. (Recovery on Water), rowing on the Chicago River with other women whose lives had been impacted by breast cancer.

Said Josh: "I loved talking to her on long car rides and playing music for her. She was always a great travel companion, up for any adventure. I loved when she visited me at college, which says a lot about a mother.”

In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by two sisters, Ellen Sax and Amy Schoenhofen and stepmother, Hope Bernstein. She is preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Mae Bernstein.

Funeral services Tuesday, 10:30AM at Shir Tikvah, 1424 West 183rd Street, Homewood, IL. Interment Ridgelawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Ark, 6450 North California Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60645, arkchicago.org/ and to The Greater Chicago Food Depository, 4100 West Ann Lurie Place, Chicago, Illinois 60632, www.chicagosfoodbank.org/. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved her. To view the funeral online, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals – Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com