Funeral Details

Carol and family, we were so very saddened to learn of Bob's passing. We have so many beautiful shared memories of our days working together in camp, and I (Minda) had so many opportunities to both work, share and laugh with him. He was a beautiful, caring person, and we cannot even imagine the depth of your loss. We hope you will find comfort in each other and in your shared memories. May his memory be for a blessing.

Minda and Ronnie Garr

Dr Robert Minkus was a wonderful caring pediatrician to my four daughters. He also became a dear friend over the years. He treated my family as if we were members of his own family. We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of such a warm and deeply committed individual. May his memory be for a blessing.

Amy Dogadko

We have lost a kind and generous man. I remember when I was young, I came home from summer camp very ill, and Dr Bobby made a house call in Nippersink so my mom wouldn’t need to schlep me back to Chicago. I later chose him as my children’s pediatrician. I appreciated his thoughtfulness when listening to their concerns, and his common sense approach to wellness. He was always sweet and even keeled. Just a delight to be around. May his memory be a blessing.

Rogie Sussman-Faber

We are so sorry to hear about the passing of Dr. Minkus. He has taken care of both of our children since they were born and had such a special way of instilling calmness and confidence in parents. We loved his approach to medicine and will carry forward all that we learned from him. My kids absolutely adored him and will miss seeing him. My 8 year old brought him a letter earlier this year and I could tell how touched he was and how much he still loved his job. Thank you for sharing such a special person with us.

Lynsey and Andrew Honegger

We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved Dr. Minkus. I was lucky to find such a wonderful doctor for my children who also supported and guided the parents in a loving and compassionate manner. Dr. Minkus was an advocate for the natural and home birth communities and will be deeply missed by many. It's not every doctor that greets you with a hug. May his memory be a source of comfort and a blessing. Our deepest condolences to his family.

Helen Polowy

We wanted to express our deep gratitude for the care Dr. Minkus provided for our daughter since her birth. We are so thankful for the comfort and support he provided our family as an essential part of her medical team. He kept our most precious gift in this world healthy and happy for the past six years! Our condolences go to his family during this time. Dr. Minkus had a large, positive impact on more lives and families than he could have possibly imagined.
Love, The Duke Family (Bianca, Jacqueline & Ben)

Bianca Duke

after 65 years of enduring friendship this is a hurtful loss.Bobby was a stalwart friend , a brilliant and compassionate person and he will be missed by so many of us who knew him and cared deeply for him and his family.My deepest condolences to carol and the rest of his family

jay freeman

Dr. Minkus was a true gem. As a new mama, he always made me feel supported and helped me make informed choices about my babies. He affirmed and celebrated the stories of homebirth and natural childbirth I regaled him with, though he certainly heard them all day, every day in his practice. My kids were really never really sick, but one Christmas day our 1 1/2 yo was very ill; I finally broke down and called. Dr. Minkus answered right away and gave me sound, simple advice (that worked!), reassuring us that she'd recover soon. At the end of the call he said, "oh, and one more VERY important thing..." I waited, listening carefully, and he added, "HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" We still talk about it, over a decade later. I remember him talking fondly about his grandchildren, and when I had work trip to Boston scheduled, he recommended his favorite, cash only, five table Italian restaurant in the North End - he said after traveling around the world, this was still one of the best. I went, and it did not disappoint; he introduced me to squid ink pasta through his tip. I'm forever grateful for Dr. Minkus talking me through the baby years with calm, experienced and respectful advice. Rest peacefully, and may your kind spirit continue to travel this big world, healing as you go. Blessed be.

Saskia Hofman

DEAR CAROL AND DEAR DR. MINKUS FAMILY,
LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER HERE IN MADRID, SPAIN WE HAD A FANTASTIC TIME IN ATOCHA STATION IN MADRID. WE PLANNED FOR THE NEXT TRIP TO SPAIN WITH YOUR GREATKIDS. I ENJOYED BOTH OF YOU AS MUCH AS I COULD SINCE I HAVE MISSED YOU VERY MUCH SINCE WE RETURN TO SPAIN FROM CHICAGO.
I WAS VERY ALONE WHEN I MET YOU AT YOUR OFFICE WITH TWO KIDS. I WAS AFRAID RAISING UP TWO LITTLE KIDS WITH OUT FAMILY IN THE USA. YOU OFFERED TO BE MY FAMILY. AND YOU WERE MY FAMILY. ONCE WE RETURNED TO SPAIN, DOCTOR MINKUS WAS ALWAYS IN OUR DINNER CONVERSATIONS UNTIL CAROL AND YOU CAME TO VISIT AND WE WALKED THROUGH THE MONASTERIO DEL ESCORIAL ENJOYING THE WAY YOU WERE, THE WAY YOU ARE AND THE WAY YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED.
DEAR CAROL, WE HAVE YOU ALWAYS IN OUR HEART. YOUR FRIENDS IN SPAIN. EVA, SOFIA Y GUILLERMO.

EVA TRIAS

Bob Minkus was a long time Camp Ramah physician and ardent Ramah advocate both in spirit and in support. He was enthralled when I first shared with him that I would be following in his footsteps as a camp doctor.

Personally, Bob was my children’s pediatrician, and I know full well, the pediatrician for many Ramah kids and their parents when they were younger. We often spent more time speaking about doctoring at Ramah than on my children. He always spoke of Ramah incredibly highly, and narrated his time as a physician there gleefully and never with a regret.

Bob was an honorable, learned, and loving doctor and Jew. He trusted nature and God, but intervened when medically necessary. He wasn’t afraid to push back against medical decisions or edicts that lacked evidence, and he was appropriately skeptical. Doctors like Bob just aren’t seen much anymore.

I remember fondly when our younger daughter was 4 days old. He noted that she had a tongue tie, and looked up at me sternly, and said, “she doesn’t need it cut,” as if he sensed that I, as an Otolaryngologist, was waiting in the wings to intervene (not the case). When our older daughter, as a toddler, visited, and he noted fluid in her middle ear (an assessment I openly shared with him that I felt was misguided), those same piercing, often paternalistic eyes beset upon me while he voiced his admonition – it’s not an infection and doesn’t require treatment. As if I hadn’t already known that, it was amusing that Bob had his ways about him. I so respected that he cared for my children as a partner, not looking to tell me as a parent that he always knew best. He trusted parents, and he reasonably distrusted corporate interests.

When we interviewed him prior to our first child's birth, he laid the law – I was to be a parent, and not her doctor. I always kept that in mind, and he afforded me access in order to ensure that I hadn’t felt a need to violate that assurance.

He will be greatly missed. Our children were blessed to have had him as their pediatrician.

Ari Rubenfeld

Dear Carol and family,
We were so saddened to hear about Bobby's passing. It's so may years we have known him from childhood to husband to father to being our children's doctor. When we moved back to Chicago there was only one doctor we would have for our children. His warmth and kindness always put both them and us at ease. He will be missed by so many.

Marvin and Barbara Primack

Bob was a wonderful man. Your family has been blessed to have such a person in your lives. May your memories of him ease your pain.

Norman Nutkis

having just watched the funeral,i was overwhelmed by the great love, respect and affection that his family had for him. the emotion they felt was contagious and clearly resonated with those of us who knew him and loved him.may his memories be a constant source of strength and may his deeds inspire us to emulate his ways. our thoughts are with his entire family but especially with carol who was his love and inspiration-harvey well

harvey well well

Judith & I are so very sad to hear of your loss. We send our condolences to you and the children.
With warmest feelings,
Judith & Marshal

Marshal Stein

Dr. Minkus was a most wonderful pediatrition for our 5 children. He maintained an interest in their well-being and pursuits long after they had outgrown his pediatric care. We are grateful for all that he did and for the guidance that he provided to our family and that we were able to maintain a connection and warm relationship with him all of these years. We will truly miss him. We send our deepest condolences to the entire Minkus families.

Shari and Azi Feifel

36 years ago, two days after our baby daughter joined our family after her long trip from Korea, we took her to Dr. Minkus, who proclaimed we had "hit the jackpot" and that this was a "kid and a half". Right on both counts! The photo from that (for us) historic visit was on his office montage of patients' photos, many years later, and our daughter had grown up, even after he moved locations. I was so deeply moved listening to the funeral online to have these memories of our encounter with someone who was so obviously a truly great man, doctor, father, grandfather and friend to so many. His memory is certainly a blessing to me.

Anya Cordell

Dr. Minkus was our pediatrician and he will be sorely missed. I remember requesting an "interview" with him fifteen years ago, when I was pregnant with our first child. I walked into that appointment a little discouraged, wondering if we would ever find a pediatrician who was supportive of natural childbirth and breastfeeding — but I walked out knowing that Dr. Minkus was a person I felt that we could trust. He encouraged us gently through struggles with nursing and the anxieties of new parenthood. We are forever grateful for all the ways he reassured us that we knew how to parent our children. When our second daughter developed severe anxiety around age ten, I met privately with him in his office and burst into tears — but this did not phase him, and he calmly walked me through the next steps we could take to help her body and mind to heal (which she did, and for which we thank God). Dr. Minkus was really the definition of a "non-anxious presence." What a gift it has been for our family to benefit from his professional expertise and personal care. His memory will live on in our family stories. Thank you for sharing him with us. ~ with much love from The Boyds

Ann Boyd

I was a true SKOKIE girl and one of the very first patients of Dr. Robert Minkus at the North Suburban Clinic. I was probably one of the very oldest ones. I remember how hard it was to leave. He finally said, "I am sorry, but it is time to move on now." Then when I had my daughter, Rachel, he was right there for me with a massive smile on his face and a warm hug. He tried to ease my mind through a problematic postpartum, giving encouraging words for over a year of nursing my baby, dealing with colic, sleepless nights, and chronic ear infections. On top of all that, he seemed to understand the complexities in my life. As he caught me gazing at his gorgeous family photographs of beautiful travels, which he posted all over the walls of his office, he witnessed my pain. He even made an extra effort to give me a Shabbat house call as he understood the need for urgent care. I'll never forget when he let me know that what looked like chickenpox with excruciating pain and very high fever was the Shingles. Then when my gorgeous grandson, Jacob, was born, Dr. Minkus was right there again, beaming with open arms. He smiled with loving eyes at baby Jacob, a spitting image of my daughter, Rachel. The family resemblances and memories we shared made his eyes fill with tears as he gave my daughter Rachel and me warm hugs. We stood there staring at each other, realizing that after all some mothers go through, in the end, we are all celebrating the fantastic miracle and beauty of a LIFE worth living to the fullest no matter what obstacles ever get in our way. Our entire family moved to Florida when I had my second gorgeous grandchild, Sarah. We never found another Dr. Minkus. He was indeed one of a kind. When we heard of his passing, we were deeply saddened. May his memory forever be a blessing. Baruch Dayan B'Emet.

Sincerely,

Eva Neidich (daughter of Bill, Z "L, the old-world Yiddish tailor so loved by our beautiful Skokie community on Church Street and Crawford for over thirty years).

Eva Neidich

I remember learning from Bob that we had to write down every item in the bathroom (in L/wd), and then move on to the other rooms, so that when we had completed the task we would no longer be listless - and the minimum waiting time before we should try Sarah on food would have passed, and so be less likely to vomit again....   We'd found it hard to wait the full 2 hours before trying B.R.A.T.  again.  The best gentle rebuke for our cutting corners and failing to comply with the basic advice.

I remember hearing from him that chocolate definitely is one of the basic food groups, and essential.

I can see his quiet ironic smiles.

I remember he performed his physical exams on babies and young kids held on our laps, so they would feel comfort,  and I was struck by his casual manner.  So I asked if he'd ever found anything as he was feeling D. or E's tummy.  And he said quickly, "Oh yes"

He has left us with good marks.

A Mensch.

I'm sorry to hear the news, and for Carol and the family.

(I coached with Bob's brother, Barbara's husband, for one season in AYSO.) 

Please pass on my respects and good wishes that all should be as easy as possible.

And maybe the fact that we have good memories may bring small comfort.

Thank you.



DAVID BIER

I am so grieved to hear of Dr. Minkus’s passing. He meant the world to me as a new mother and his ways have become my ways. I am inspired by this man, and moved to hear stories from his funeral that line up exactly with the kind and charismatic leader I knew as a patient. He was just as much my doctor as my children’s. One funny story: when my daughter turned one, she started to plateau in her growth and I was worried. (Of course, Dr. minkus was not at all worried). The pediatrician office happened to have some child growth supplement drink samples and I took one on my way in to the appointment. Dr. Minkus took one look at that bottle with great disgust and he said, “where did you get that?” I threw it out before leaving the office that day 🙂 Thank you, Minkus family for sharing your beloved father and husband with us. He leaves behind a great void but also a great legacy. May his memory be a blessing.

Taylor Norris

I was so sorry to hear about Dr. Minkus. He was our boys’ pediatrician for nearly 20 years. He was thoughtful, wise, and caring. I got the sense that he really truly did what is best for the kids, and also supported parents’ intuition. We turned to him and trusted him with our children’s health, and we always looked forward to seeing him. He was a real gem and we will miss him greatly.

- The Straus-Versten Family

Elizabeth Versten

I first met Dr. Minkus as an exhausted new mom of a 4 month old daughter. I had tried unsuccessfully to nurse my baby and realized that my previous pediatrician was undermining my attempts. I was so frustrated and disappointed and I couldn't see a way to turn the situation around. A friend recommended Dr. Minkus and he was my last hope!

I remember him coming into the office and I began to give him our history. By the end, I was in tears, recounting the challenges over the previous 4 months. He sat quietly and listened. When I was done, he gave me a hug and said: You will be okay and your baby will be okay. Don't worry.

And from then on, it was.

He made me feel like an empowered mom, not an inexperienced one. I am so grateful for the confidence he gave me and for the excellent care he gave my kids after that.

He has made a lasting difference in my life and in the lives of my kids and I am forever grateful to him.

Merav Benson

Dr. Minkus was a truly special gem. We met him when our eldest was born early and tiny. In one of our very early visits, we brought in a spreadsheet that tracked exactly how much and when we were feeding our tiny baby - tracked in milliliters. Very detailed. We handed it to him and he reviewed it, marveled at our work and then promptly put it into the trashcan. He told us we didn't need this. The baby would tell us what he needed and when. Of course he was right. He was wise and he wanted us to to learn to trust our inner wisdom too. His calm, attentive and affectionate mannerisms helped us become confident parents. He will greatly missed. I truly adored him.

Steph Meyers

Dear Carol and the whole Minkus Family: My deepest condolences on the loss of such a special, wonderful person. Our entire community will miss him. May you be comforted with many loving memories.

Bonnie Hernandez

We moved to the area in 2003 when our special-needs son was 6 months old, and we needed a special kind of pediatrician. My step-sister had found Dr. Minkus for her infant son, and he soon became our pediatrician as well (and after visiting another pediatrician who was not for us). He was compassionate and non-alarmist and also recognized the complexity of our son’s situation. When our son passed away unexpectedly in 2005 Dr. Minkus showed us such compassion. I’m so very sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing.

Julie Cutter

It is with such great sadness that our family has learned that Dr. Minkus has passed away! He was one of a kind of a doctor the world has seen. Always calm, wise and ready to help. As a new parent I remember each time we came for a visit with our little baby, describing the issue, telling him "I've Googled it", he would always smile and reasure us that nothing serious is going on. I could always see it in his eyes, the years of wisdom and experience, being able to always accurately diagnose the problems and provide sound advise on the treatments. We've viewed him as a Guardian Angel for our child, as I'm sure many other parents have, and with his passing the world has lost a great doctor!

Please accept our deepest condolences on the loss of such a wonderful person, we will always have fond memories of our interactions with Dr. Minkus and he will be greatly missed!!!

Alex Antonov

Our deepest condolences to the family. Dr Minkus was one of a kind. He put me at ease when my daughter went through a tough medical period. He treated his patients like family & he will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We love you Dr Minkus!

Connie Anton