Dr. Robert J. Minkus
March 10, 1946 - September 19, 2021
Date and Time
Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 10:00 AM
Service
Chicago Jewish Funerals
Skokie Chapel
8851 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, Hawaii 60077
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Clergy
Rabbi Ari Hart
Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob
Interment
Westlawn Cemetery
7801 West Montrose Avenue
Norridge, Illinois 60706
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Shiva
Rebecca Minkus-Lieberman residence
85 Mulberry East Road
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
773.983.6040
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Thursday, September 30, 1PM-4PM and 6PM-8:30PM
Friday, October 1, 1PM-4PM
Saturday, October 2, 7:30PM-9:30PM
Minyan Thursday and Saturday 6:30PM
Shiva resumes at Hannah Minkus' residence
8920 Kilbourn Avenue
Skokie, Illinois 60076
773.983.6041
Sunday, October 3, 1PM-4PM and 6PM-8:30PM
Monday, October 4, 1PM-4PM and 6PM-8:30PM
Minyan 6:30PM on both evenings
Memorial Contributions
Camp Ramah
67 East Madison Street, Suite 1905
Chicago, Illinois 60603
www.ramahwisconsin.com
or
Solomon Schechter Day School
3210 Dundee Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
www.schechter.org
or
Rochelle Zell Jewish High School
1095 Lake Cook Road
Deerfield, Illinois 60015
www.rzjhs.org
OBITUARY
Dr. Robert J. Minkus, age 75
Beloved husband of Carol nee Shtriker. Loving father of Michael (Laura) Minkus, Rebecca (David Lieberman) Minkus-Lieberman, and Hannah (Joseph Schaedler) Minkus. Proud grandfather of Noa, Sam, Matan, Meira, Akiva, Sadie, Judah and Eli. Dear brother of Paul (Donna) Minkus and Jonathan (Barbara) Minkus. Service Thursday 10AM at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd. (at Niles Center Road) Skokie. Interment Westlawn. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Camp Ramah, 67 E. Madison Street, Suite 1905, Chicago, IL 60603, Solomon Schechter Day School, 3210 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062, www.schechter.org or Rochelle Zell Jewish High School, 1095 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, IL 60015, www.rzjhs.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com
GUEST BOOK
Minda and Ronnie Garr
Amy Dogadko
Rogie Sussman-Faber
Lynsey and Andrew Honegger
Helen Polowy
Love, The Duke Family (Bianca, Jacqueline & Ben)
Bianca Duke
jay freeman
Saskia Hofman
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
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
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
Norman Nutkis
harvey well well
With warmest feelings,
Judith & Marshal
Marshal Stein
Shari and Azi Feifel
Anya Cordell
Ann Boyd
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
Taylor Norris
- The Straus-Versten Family
Elizabeth Versten
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
Steph Meyers
Bonnie Hernandez
Julie Cutter
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
Connie Anton