Jordan I. Shifrin

Jordan I. Shifrin, 76 years old, of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, died on March 2, 2026 in Cortona, Italy, a hilltop Tuscan town he had spent a wonderful week exploring with his wife, Rookie. He suffered a stroke at a restaurant table — wine in hand, menu open — and never recovered. It was, as those who knew him will recognize, a very Jordan way to go.

Born and raised in Rogers Park on Chicago's North Side, he was the son of Eli, a bread delivery driver, and Shirley. Her death from colon cancer when Jordan was just 14 was a loss he carried quietly for the rest of his life.

He met Rookie at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history. He worked as a clothing salesman, insurance adjuster, and history teacher, then went to law school at John Marshall, where he graduated in 1977. In 1983 he founded what became Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit, building a firm around values that also happened to describe him: simplicity, responsiveness, kindness, efficiency, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He became one of the nation’s most respected attorneys in the field of common interest community associations (condominium, homeowner, and townhome associations), counseled hundreds of associations, wrote two books and countless articles, and mentored dozens of lawyers and colleagues who carry his influence forward.

But the law was only part of his story. Jordan was a world traveler, film buff, obsessive Chicago sports fan, trivia authority, prankster, collector, teacher (of film), historian, gastronome, and a man who showed up in costume more often than most adults have any business doing. He was one of the most generous people anyone who knew him had ever met, with his knowledge, his table, and himself.

He was preceded in death by his mother Shirley, his father Eli, and his brother Craig. He is survived by his wife Rookie; children, Shana and Simon; grandchildren, Clara and Louis; and a wide community of friends and colleagues whose lives he made richer by being in them.

A service and celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at Temple Emanu-El, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. Donations can be made to any of Jordan’s favorite charities, including All Faiths Food Bank, Urbanite Theatre, and the Arts Emanu-El committee.