Etta Pink

A lover of nature, Lake Michigan, Chicago-and especially the people she encountered in everyday life-Etta Wechsler Pink passed unexpectedly on May 19, 2016, in Chicago at age 94 when her heart gave out after a surgical procedure. A fearless adventurer, swimmer, poet/writer/story teller, style maven, and student of Jewish philosophy, Etta died only blocks from her beloved lake where she had swum a mile each day during the warm summer months ever since she was a young child. Her welcoming smile brought a glow to hearts of friends and strangers alike, as they knew the moments they would spend with her would be warm, insightful, uplifting and unforgettable. She had the sparkle and enthusiasm of a 45 year old and looked much younger than her years. Even at 94, she was ageless, vibrant, active and living life to its fullest. Her kindness and compassion revealed a sweet inner core that embraced all who knew her. Etta's humble, down-to-earth character belied her many successes and achievements. A lifelong Chicagoan, she was a graduate of the University of Chicago. It was here that she developed a love of literature. This led her to become involved in the beginnings of "The Great Books Movement," which became a standard bearer for universities throughout the United States. Her courage and curiosity led her to travel extensively by herself throughout the world, an undertaking that even today's women would find daunting. Following the death in 1970 of her late first husband, Marvin H. Pink, who was the father of her three children and whose piano talents gave her great joy, Etta moved back to the City from Glencoe, where she and Marvin had raised their family. She became the director of the International Visitors Center of Chicago and had the perfect personal qualities to be the "face of Chicago" to a remarkable list of foreign dignitaries, heads of state, writers, recording artists and cultural luminaries. Then moving to Santa Fe for eight years, she immersed herself in the richness of New Mexico's historic culture and loved hiking and exploring the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. But Chicago and Lake Michigan soon lured her back home. Etta will be remembered for her creative flair, which was especially evident in the signature hats and berets that she wore as well as the warmth with which she decorated the home that she shared with her late second husband Dr. Allen Kahn. Together she and Allen enjoyed opera, symphony, theatre, and all types of art and culture. Etta was adored by her late husbands, Allen Kahn MD, and Marvin Pink; her children Terry Pink Alexander (John Blaustein), Thomas Pink (Vera Fretter), and Todd Pink (Julie Sorensen), grandchildren Peter Alexander (Alison Starling), Rebecca and Kevin Alexander, and Ellie Pink; and great-grandchildren Ava Starling Alexander and Emma Pink Alexander. She was the dear stepmother of Jonathan MD (Sally) Kahn, Daniel MD (Jill) Kahn, Michael Kahn MD, and Joshua MD (Nancy) Kahn, and step-grandmother of Mia, Anna, Eva, Rachel, Alex, Adam, Jacob, Elise, and Julia Kahn. She was predeceased by her four beloved older sisters, Sylvia (Earl) Siegman, Elfreda (Harry) Tarler, Hannah (Charles) Lilienfeld, and Anita Wechsler. As the last surviving sister, Etta became the matriarch of the Wechsler clan and was the inspiration for her children, grandchildren-and nieces and nephews, Diane Siegman, Tena Tarler Rosner, Fred Siegman (Brenda Wolf), Jayne Lilienfeld-Jones, and Daniel Lilienfeld. As Etta's grandson Kevin Alexander remembers, "In a world of conformists, Grandma was a nonconformist-always a breath of fresh air." She counted among her friends individuals from a multitude of communities. But to her children, Etta was "just Mom" and was so deeply loved. Our hearts are broken to have lost her. A memorial will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Foundation Fighting Blindness (http://www.fightblindness.org) or Center for Life & Learning (CLL) at Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church (http://www.fourthchurch.org/cll/).