Funeral Details

Stevi Ann Marks née Silverman of Deerfield, Illinois, was born August 12, 1954 in Chicago to Howard and Judy Silverman, who predeceased her. She is survived by her husband of 43 years Jeffrey Michael Marks, and sons Ian David (Megan Saylor) Marks and Zachary Scott (Debbie) Marks and grandchildren Henry and Sidney. Stevi was the oldest of 3 sisters, Randi (Dan) Lustig and Lauren (Jay) Cowen. They moved to Morton Grove at age 5 where she was exposed to and began her love of musical theatre. At age 12 her parents scraped together money to buy a piano. The family moved when she was in high school to Deerfield, Illinois. She joined Highland Park's Temple B'Nai Torah Congregation Choir, led by the opera singer Cantor Frazes, which was a pivotal moment in building her spirituality and deepening love for music. She graduated from Deerfield High School and went to the University of Illinois, graduating in Music Education. While there she joined AEPhi Sorority and became an officer, sang with the Woman's Glee Club where she served as president for a number of years and toured Europe, and also performed with the a cappella singing group "the girls next door". Her summers were spent working at Ravinia. After student teaching at locations around Chicago in her senior year, and a teaching job in Matteson and then Elmwood Park, she got a music education position at Wilmot/Caruso Junior High in Deerfield. Stevi auditioned for, and became, a professional musician with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. She enjoyed performing, recording, and touring under Sir George Solti and many other conductors, and the mentorship of chorus director Margaret Hillis. Stevi continued acting, doing recording projects, commercial voiceovers and as an on-camera spokesperson. She met a theatre mentor, Eileen Boevers, who guided her into professional acting, directing community and then professional theatre, all while taking over Apple Tree Theatre's Boevers Performing Arts Workshop, Summer Camps, Traveling Troupe (which performed everywhere including Europe), and continuing with outside projects. Following the birth of her sons, she left Wilmot Jr High, and worked full time as a professional Director, voice teacher and coach, as well as recording and acting. Stevi directed, "Songs For A New World", at Apple Tree Theatre, earning Jeff Awards acclaim. Stevi also directed the plays "Kindertransport", about the rescue of children during the holocaust, to wide success, as well as "Nine Armenians" about their holocaust. She directed at other Chicago area theatres including at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She directed over 100 musicals and plays. She had also been directing the Glenbrook South High School Variety Show on a contract (between professional theatre gigs) for a few years when one of the GBS music educators became ill, and they asked Stevi to renew her teaching certificate and come work in their music department. She agreed, advised Marriott Theatre she was withdrawing from directing one of their next season shows, and started at GBS. Once GBS realized she was also a professional theatre director, they persuaded her to also direct the joint musicals, which she did for years. Stevi was herself a Grammy Award finalist as a teacher, and she decided to submit the GBS Music Department for a Grammy Award as the most outstanding High School Music Program in the nation. It worked. With the Award also came a substantial check, which was made out personally to Stevi Marks, and she endorsed it over to GBS. 17 and a half years ago, Stevi was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer that had already metasticized. She refused to listen to any predictions of 6 months to a year survival, and under a great medical oncologist Dr Leon Dragon at North Shore, Stevi lived for the next 10 years with minimal treatment by hormone suppressors. She completed and was Bat Mitzvahd, earned a Masters Degree in Music Education, took over the Midwest Young Artists Choirs from the great Gary Fry, and toured the country including Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Carnegie Hall in NYC, and the world, including Bulgaria, with MYA choirs. She helped raise trip funds by hosting a concert at the Holocaust Museum and obtained grants including from the Pritzker Foundation and The Amber Foundation. She was most proud of MYA collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and MYA Choirs in the annual "Welcome Yule". She then helped to create the CSO and MYA "Merry Merry Chicago" concert at Orchestra Hall. She incorporated a charity when she saw a need in the community, enticed civic leaders to participate, and was the CEO of Caring Hearts Charity. When she decided to take advantage of early retirement from GBS, she was immediately snatched up first by DePaul, and then Northwestern University, where she worked at both up to last month, teaching, mentoring, and student placing the next generation of music educators. Stevi also rejoined the performing at nursing homes musical group Music Review, for their weekly performance to seniors at senior and nursing homes throughout the area. And she was a frequent clinician conducting choirs at schools in the area. Stevi also credits the great Dr. Melody Cobleigh and her staff at Rush Pres for keeping Stevi going while waiting for each of the miraculous new cancer treatments, which she was fortunate to be placed on. Stevi's nieces and nephews, friends and colleagues, former students, artists, and those she touched reached out to her in her final week. Stevi said she's humbled by the outpouring of love and reminiscences from the many people she has touched and who have touched her. Service Thursday 12 Noon at Congregation Or Shalom, 21 Hawthorne Parkway, Vernon Hills, IL 60061. Interment Shalom Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Stevi Marks Scholarship Fund at the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, secure.givelively.org/donate/midwest-young-artists-conservatory/stevi-marks-scholarship-fund. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com