Funeral Details

Marjorie K. Cohn, nee Kurtzon, age 103 ½
Beloved wife of the late Nathan Cohn and subsequently the late Harold Pfeffer. Beloved mother of the late Theodore E. Cohn (Barbara A. Cohn), David L. Cohn (Rikki Horne), Anna Cohn Donnelly (Christopher J. Donnelly), Amy E. Cohn (Rabbi Gordon Tucker), and Julie A. Cohn (John A. Connor); and mother-in-law of the late Naida K. Cohn. Proud grandmother of Avery Cohn (Natalie Theys), Adrienne DuBois (James DuBois), Harris Cohn, Alan Cohn (Harmony Knutson), Laina Cohn, Barbara Horne-Petersdorf, Kelly Donnelly, Chris J. Donnelly (Sarah Donnelly), Liz Burke (Michael Burke), Kaitlin Donnelly, Ethan Tucker (Ariela Migdal), Becky Tucker, Micah Tucker (Jenna Tucker), and Miriam Connor (Alex Churchill). Cherished great-grandmother of Theo, Sid, Nathan, C.J., Lola, Titus, Judah, Barrett, Quinn, Rory, Eden, Yitzhak, Yoav, Jaxon, Maya, and Caleb. Dear daughter of the late Morris and Celia Kurtzon, sister of the late Albert (the late Erna) Kurtzon, the late Sylvia (the late David) Koch and the late Bernice Stackler; and beloved aunt/great-aunt to their many descendants.

Marjorie was born at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, founded by her father just months before, on February 29, 1920. She grew up in Highland Park, IL, graduating from Highland Park High School as salutatorian in 1938. She completed two years at Connecticut College before falling in love with and marrying the handsome Nathan Cohn. They enjoyed nearly fifty years of a happy marriage, raising five children in Highland Park and later in Jenkintown, PA.

Marjorie and Nat traveled the world, summered in Maine, and wintered in Arizona. After Nat died, Marjorie had the good fortune to start a second great marriage with Harold Pfeffer, and they continued the peripatetic lifestyle before settling at the Vi in Glenview, Illinois.

When her first grandson Alan was born, Marjorie’s name became Mimi, to everyone both in and out of her family. She welcomed family, friends, and strangers into her home for outstanding meals, and always had a jar of homemade mandelbread on hand. After being widowed the second time, Mimi formed close friendships with many others at the Vi. Vivian and Luzy joined the family seven years ago, and became Mimi’s trusted caregivers, confidantes, competitors in board games, and friends to all of us.

Although family came first in every way, Mimi gave her time and talent to her synagogues, her sisterhoods, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the American Red Cross, Abington Hospital, the Florence Crittenden Home, and Sinai Chicago. She was a golfer, a tennis player, a bocce ball competitor, and an inveterate walker. She sewed beautiful needlepoints, reproducing the artwork and images of friends and family. She was a shrewd player of Bridge and Scrabble, and a willing participant in almost any kind of game or entertainment. She was a stealth actress, a voracious reader, eager tap-dancer, generous listener, and an engaged conversationalist. Most importantly, she was beloved by many, as a kind, smart, warm, and gentle parent, aunt, grandparent, great-grandparent, , and friend.

Service: Monday 12 noon, Congregation Sukkat Shalom, 1001 Central Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Interment: Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 West Rand Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Sukkat Shalom, www.sukkatshalom.org, or Sinai Chicago, Office of Development, 1500 S. Fairfield Ave., Chicago, IL 60608, sinaichicago.org/giving. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website.

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