In Loving Memory of Elaine Silberman

Elaine Silberman (nee Sass) July 26, 1929 to May 16, 2026. Only child of Vladimer and Monya Slavslasky (Americanized version: Bill and Minnie Sass). Raised on the south side of Chicago with a large extended family and many lifelong friends. Married Richard Silberman in 1949 until his death on March 1, 1994 at 67. Elaine and Richard raised two boys: her oldest (and favorite), Jeff, who died on October 6, 2019 at 66, and her still surviving son, Scott.

Elaine loved many things – her family, up to and including fourth and fifth cousins, and some I am pretty certain weren’t actually related to her; her friends, which included anyone she had met twice; and art of any kind, which meant on any vacation the first place she went after checking in was an art museum. After her first son was born, the family moved to Lincoln, IL where she first started teaching art on her back porch. She never stopped.

After moving back to Deerfield, she continued teaching art, only now it was in the basement as we had no porch. Then she started working at the Deerfield Park District. You could say she loved this job, where she worked for over 50 years with many positions. At times, she ran the nursery school, the summer camp, taught hundreds or thousands of art classes for kids and as she got older started teaching adults as well. To this day I am not certain how many of her students came just for the cookies she made for the classes. I do know that when my friends were in high school there were many pit stops to get a couple of Elaine’s cookies, and most of these visits took place without my knowledge.

Her love of family was legendary. She loved those she taught just as much as she loved her family and always wanted everyone to spend time with everyone else. She started the annual family picnic and even did a Hanukkah party for many years. She always hosted Rosh Hashanah and Passover and there was a revolving door of attendees. The only constant was there were always too many people for the house. As she got older she became Grandma Elaine for her grandkids and any other kids who wanted a Grandma Elaine.

Survived by her daughter in law Barbara (Jeffy’s wife) and her son Will and his partner Cody. Also survived by her son Scott, his wife Rochelle, and their 3 children: Philip and his wife Shannon with their kids Abe and Zoe aka her great grandchildren, Brent and his wife Amanda and their little one Ella. Not to be repetitive but another great granddaughter. She had one granddaughter, Marlee, who she shopped and cooked with her whole life.