Funeral Details

Gloria Lappe, 92, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children, on May 29, 2026.

Born on August 22, 1933, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Molly and Joe Benjamin, a homemaker and a plumber, Gloria was raised in a loving family, and had a close relationship with her brothers Burton and Donald. The family moved to Chicago during her early teen years, where she attended Senn High School. Salesmanship was her favorite class and she worked, from the time she was 14 years old, in sales, at which she was a master, first at Crawford’s Department Store, and later at Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bramson’s. She was an entrepreneur at heart, and started a number of successful businesses, making and selling her own products, including beaded sweaters and children’s bows. Later, she worked in telephone sales so that she could be at home with her children, selling everything from water softeners to freezer foods, eventually retiring in her 80’s from Industrial Marketplace. She was proud to have been able to contribute to the family income and to have been able to send all four of her children to college.

She met Leonard Lappe on a blind date in 1952, when she was 18, and they fell madly in love. Her parents didn’t initially approve, and Len and Gloria eloped on May 29th, 1953. Leonard was the love of her life (her parents eventually came around and loved him as well), and they shared 67 years of marriage, never having left the honeymoon stage, so in love were they. Together they travelled the world, surrounded themselves with a legion of friends by whom they were beloved, and raised four children whom they adored, and who adored them.

Family was the focus of Gloria’s life, and what gave her the greatest joy and fulfillment. She was proud to be a Boy Scout and Cub Scout Den Mother, and Brownie and Girl Scout leader for all of her children. She volunteered at school events, putting her special touch on everything from the school carnival to its newspaper drives. She was the mom on the block who all the kids wished was their own. Her children’s—and grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s—childhoods were filled with baking cookies, making crafts, camping, travelling, sleepovers, and just being loved up by the greatest mom and Bubbe there ever was.

Gloria raised her children in a deeply Jewish home, and was the essence of her children’s Jewish educations. She was an amateur Holocaust historian, and a lover of Israel. She was a Sar-El/Volunteers-for-Israel soldier, in her 60’s, and took pride in being able to relieve a reserve soldier from duty for a few weeks to be able to return to their family while she worked in their place. After October 7th, at the age of 90, her first impulse was to return to Israel to help.

She taught all of us how to love and how to be good people. We hope we are doing her proud.

And now, the usual details: Gloria was the loving wife of 67 years to the late Leonard, devoted mother of Fred (Marla) Lappe, Dr. Murray Lappe (Lucinda Bassett), Barbara (Jonathan) Minkus, and Rabbi Benay Lappe. Dear sister of the late Burton (Sheila) Benjamin, and the late Donald (Marcia) Benjamin. Proud grandmother (“Bubbe”) to Jeremie (Elimelech) Ray, Ana Oppenheimer (Scott Guenther), Emily (Roger) Kueny, Lucas Lappe (Izzy Lee), Gia Lappe, Max Lappe, Aaron (Jen) Minkus, Rabbi David (Ilyssa) Minkus, Katie (Zach) Pellish, and Molly Lappe. Adored great-grandmother (“Great Bubbe”) to Nadav, Danya, and Orli Minkus, Zoe, Gabe, and Andie Oppenheimer, Raia and Adira Minkus, Genevieve Kueny, Maya, Leora, and Coby Pellish, and Jane Eden Ray. Dear friend of Sol and Sheila Winer, Delores Orlove, Mario Boyas, Mati Briganti, and so many more.

We will forever be grateful to those angels on earth who helped care for our mom so lovingly and with so much grace in these past few months, Winlove Encanto and Mabel Townsend.

Funeral services Monday, June 1, at 12:00 pm. Interment at Memorial Park Cemetery, 9900 Gross Point Road, Skokie. Shiva following interment, after which shiva will be observed privately by the family. Randi Berger is our shiva coordinator and can be reached at 773.7422702 for any questions. If you would like to contribute towards the Shiva, you can do so via Venmo: @randi-shivaladies or Zelle: shivaladies@gmail.com. Please put Lappe in the notes.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, 4411 N Ravenswood Ave Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60640, or Congregation Rodfei Zedek, 5200 S Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago, IL 60615. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals—Skokie Chapel, 847-229-8822, www.cjfinfo.com.