Funeral Details

Ilene E. Kramer nee Engel, age 92

Beloved wife of the late Helmut "Hal" Kramer. Loving mother and best friend of Leslie Kramer (Peter) Horwitz. Devoted and proud “Googie” of Alyssa and Avi Horwitz. Ilene was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from U of I at Urbana-Champaign in 1950, where she majored in Education/Sociology and minored in Psychology/History. She taught 1st and 2nd grades at the Arnold School and, later, LeMoyne. Ilene married Hal on Thanksgiving Day in 1959. She supported her husband in the founding of the H. Hal Kramer Co., which manufactured decorative, antiqued, miniature wall décor, sold worldwide. After their daughter was born, Ilene retired from teaching to become the bookkeeper for the family business and a stay-at-home mom. Family was everything to Ilene, who loved preparing delicious holiday dinners, baking, needlepointing, knitting, growing roses, doing puzzles, watching movies, attending theater/ballet, and taking care of her home. She was a loyal and devoted friend and animal lover, who raised five poodles, a schnoodle, and two cats over her adult life. After the birth of her grandchildren and despite her stroke at the age of 77, she was always present for school functions, recitals, Torah readings, and baseball games. She truly enjoyed giving gifts and was beyond generous with those she loved. Ilene had impeccable taste in clothes and was the personal shopper for the entire family. She was a strong and resilient woman, who had a terrific sense of humor and incredible determination. She persevered to the very end with grace and style, despite her many setbacks. She was loved by her devoted caregivers, and will be missed by all who had the privilege of spending time with her, especially her family. Service 12 noon at Temple Jeremiah, 937 Happ Road, Northfield, IL 60093.Interment Westlawn. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either Temple Jeremiah, www.templejeremiah.org, PAWS Chicago, 1997 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, www.pawschicago.org, or the American Cancer Society, PO Box 42040, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, www.cancer.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com.