Lorry Sirkin Obituary
Lorry was a born and bred Chicagoan. He was a staunch progressive, idealist and supported EVERYONE. A lover of wood working and art, an avid golfer and fisherman. Lorry looked forward to his summers in Michigan surrounded by his friends and family.
Lorry's legacy continues through the relationships he formed. Lorry always had an open ear. He was a friend and father figure to many, was non-judgmental and open minded. Lorry created a welcoming, non-judgmental safe space. He meant something different to everyone, always leaving an indelible mark.
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Larry Borggren
May 18, 2025
I had a lunch today with a friend and it prompted memories of enjoying lunches with Lorry. Living in Phoenix, with family in Chicago, Lorry and I would often schedule a lunch together when I got back to Chicago. Lorry would always initiate the selection of the restaurant. I swear he knew every diner, Bar & Grill in the city. We would end up in some local neighborhood pub and enjoy a lunch, get caught up, and simply enjoy each other's company for a couple of hours. It was always a teriffic time just enjoying the simplest of things. I always admired that about Lorry, he was able to enjoy the moment and find joy in the simplest routines of daily living.
Carol Friedman
November 29, 2024
I met Lorry in 1988? when he became Josh's soccer coach. Looking back on it, this was true serendipity. Turned out that Josh and Sean already knew each other. So while Lorry might not have been the best soccer coach, this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Over the years we spent lots of good times together on vacations, at Hilltop, holidays and just hanging out.
In retrospect, Lorry was the a go-to person. In his humble and non-judgmental way, he always seem to have an answer. This summer, at Hilltop, there were many times when I would think, what would Lorry do. And although he wasn't one to be involved in my personal life, Lorry was the person who suggested I date the guy who I am now married to. Lorry was like a member of my family. Without any doubt, Lorry is truly missed.
CAROL BLALOCK
November 18, 2024
Lorry was one of the first "vendors" I met in November 1985 when I worked for Joanna Western Mills & he worked for Higgins/Hegner/Genovese. I was completely inexperienced & had to learn everything about graphic design. What a great teacher. Lorry would start a gentle lesson with "you probably know this" and then give me the tools to be better at my job. As others have said, he was a wonderful listener, fun to be around & a big brother to all. We´ve not been in contact in recent years but he´s never far from my thoughts. I was fortunate to know him.
Sue Gamm
May 10, 2024
I first met Lorry on June 10, 1967 (my brother´s BD) thanks to a mutual friend who wisely thought we would be a good couple. This was the first Saturday night after my freshman college year. Lorry and I bonded quickly, soon getting together several days during the week and weekends, and spending lots of time with our many mutual friends. This was tricky because he lived with his parents 7000 south and I was 7000 north. Lorry was the first "boy" I ever called ... ,
As our relationship progressed, the times were changing, and we did with them. Lorry radicalized quickly, figured out how to avoid the draft by serving in the Army reserves ... A few summers later he refused to cut his long hair for summer camp. So I woke up with Lorry at dawn to put on his short hair wig that he used to somehow pass inspection. By 1971, we began to share an apartment that soon housed 3 couples one block east of where we have lived for 46 years together.
We grew politically in similar ways. Together with Adi, Ed, Stuart, and Carol we voluntarily staffed the National Lawyers Guild office .. protested the Vietnam War and supported other causes through the years. By year 6 we were married, and by year 9 we were a small family with Jenny, and a few years later we had Sean.
For the last 57-some years I watched Lorry gather his legion of friends. As Eddie Holstein who many of you know just shared with me, Lorry knew how to be a friend. This includes his two friends from the womb and brothers from other mothers - Larry (who is here today from LA), and Steven White who is here in spirit from his European travels. It also includes friends he collected over his 78 years - from grammar school, high school, college, Salsedo, the Guild, his work, my work, Hilltop, our children´s friend, the neighborhood, etc. etc. etc.
Lorry had a wonderful and infectious smile, that a friend just accurately described as "impish." He was an incredible listener, which perhaps is what made him such a good conversationalist .. whether it be old friends, new friends, children, or even strangers. He was also generous. As Stephanie Jemilo likes to tell me, she once made the mistake of complimenting the bracelet he was wearing and the next thing she knew it was on her wrist. Various young folks here can tell stories about how Lorry slipped them bills during times they were together.
Lorry was a pied piper with Jenny and Sean´s friends, and our friends´ children. He loved to fish, but Lorry loved to fish even more with whoever he could find at our Hilltop vacation home fish with. He also loved to golf, and treasured his time golfing with friends in Michigan and his childhood friends Larry and Larry - meeting various places out west.
Lorry would sometimes joke that he was segregated in classes apart from the so-called "smart" kids in high school. Yet, he knew more than anyone I knew .. he probably remembered more than I learned for a test and then forgot immediately after. Whether it was science, math, obscure facts, carpentry, , etc..
One example ... On July 4, 1978, soon after we bought our current home that we had been renting, Lorry took a sledge hammer and began to break down our first of two walls to make the rooms larger ... it never dawned on me that he had never done that before and might not know what he was doing - and I never thought to ask!
Lorry and I waited a few years to travel without family or friends - until about 5 years ago when we first crossed the of ocean. Although his many surgeries had taken a toll, he never let it stop him and was aways a willing partner.
My first impression during our first phone call 57 years ago was that Lorry was funny, and he never stopped being funny ... his sense of humor shined through with his angel nurses and health care workers who visited throughout his illness. Most of you know we found out in September that Lorry contracted an evil aggressive and rare cancer, which we never doubted he´d beat. But, even when his body started to weaken, he persevered til the near end ... laughing with and loving his family and friends.
Lorry was the love of my life and my best friend ever.
Love ya Lor - now and forever more ... Suzie
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Bruce and Fanchon Simons
May 7, 2024
Lorry and I go back to TEPs at Illinois in the mid 60s. What endured over the next 60 years was an easy manner, a great listener, and a strong sense of social justice. I can´t even imagine how many people he " touched" with his grace. While his loss is very sad, he did touch the hearts of very many and that will live on
Fanchon joins me in sending kind thoughts and our prayers to the family
Bruce and Fanchon Simons
Casi Kroth
May 7, 2024
I was thinking further about Lorry after all the wonderful speeches from the event. What has really stuck with me is Lorry´s love of family and the community that he has created. Thinking about his and Suzie´s impact I have to look to their amazing kids Sean and Jenny who I can see are continuing Lorry´s legacy of being incredible parents and being supportive people to the community they are in. I have been involved in all of your lives and have seen both Sean and Jenny change and develop as parents. Watching their kids grow up I have seen the compassion, care, and support they give their families which echoes the values that I admired in Lorry. Its tragic to lose him so soon but I will always be able to see his light when looking at his kids and his grand kids. I feel blessed again to all of these friendships in my life and that I know I can also reach out to them and get the same understanding and grace that Lorry would have extended to me. I love you guys so much.
Micah Berman
May 6, 2024
I got to know Lorry as a little kid, against the backdrop of slow, summer vacation days at Hilltop in Michigan. A quiet and ever-humble conspirator, I'm grateful for all the work Lorry did behind the scenes to make sure we had fun.
Three specific fond memories I have are attached to three things I learned from Lorry:
(1) Fishing. Early mornings, fog rising off of the lake, me maybe 5 or 6 years old. Lorry would put a minnow or a worm on the hook, show me how to cast, and then unhook anything we caught. Meanwhile, conversation, curiosity about school or camp, always quick with a joke. Lorry had a deep-seated curiosity about the people around him and to feel it was to feel loved.
(2) Driving. The first car I ever drove was Lorry and Sue's Saab convertible - I could barely reach the pedals. Slowly, under close supervision, around the track at the Lion's Club down the street. It was Lorry's idea - and example of the trust he placed in those around him. I don't think I hit anything - but I felt better knowing that he had no intention I'd be perfect, yet always gave a gentle nudge to try and then to learn.
(3) Boats. Lorry showed me how one ought to drive a boat: pick a point on the distant shore, and line it up with a point on the boat. Keep those two matched up so you stay true to course - then, when you get close, pick a new point. I've shared this same Lorry wisdom with many more first-time boat drivers, kids and adults alike, in the years that have followed - always smiling as I think of Lorry... there's not a pontoon boat ride I'll ever take he won't be on.
In all of the above - curiosity and trust didn't depend on who you were, how old you were, or where you came from: Lorry took all comers, made each feel warm, welcome, and loved. That example is one I aspire to live toward every day.
Susan Reed
May 5, 2024
Since yesterday's memorial, I've been thinking about how Lorry was always there for all of our kids. After Maddie told the story about Lorry showing up first at the hospital when she had a car accident, after Sean talking about how he needed to be there for all of his friends, I realized that for Lorry, all of the kids were his kids. While I might think, "I hope Maddie is okay", Lorry needed to make sure that she was okay and to do what he could to ensure it. I think that was true for all of our kids. Our kids were his kids, too.
Lorry, we'll always miss you but you left us with so many precious memories that will bring us joy and lessons for the years to come. Love you, Man.
Danielle Barrett
May 5, 2024
My first memory of Lorry was when I was probably 15 or so years old and Lorry and Suzie and many of their other close friends (my aunt and uncle among them) had just bought the Hilltop. I remember being wowed by the fact that he was someone's father! He was so cool, funny, sweet and easy to talk to, even for a teenager. I later got to know Lorry much better because at the age of 33 I moved back to Chicago after living abroad for a while. Lorry was my cousin's landlord and I was lucky enough to be able to move into the same wonderful building and apartment my cousin lived in (as did Josh Prudowsky, and several other wonderful and interesting folks). Lorry charged us practically nothing to live there, which was great because with my new job as a "miscellaneous" Chicago Public Schools employee I wasn't making much. Lorry would come over for dinners at our apartment and I really just felt like I had struck gold with being able to have this beautiful community to be a part of after just arriving in Chicago after 15 or so years being away from it. That first summer back in Chicago Lorry would offer me little odd jobs here and there cleaning the other building he owned nearby. He was very generous.
I was fortunate enough to spend many long weekends at Hilltop which meant I got to have many wonderful long, medium, and short conversations with Lorry. They all left me with a smile on my face because he was just one of those people that was a joy to talk to. Even just walking by the front porch on the way to walk down to the lake, he always had something funny or charming to say. He had a great sense of humor and I loved hearing his stories too. He was also very easy to make laugh, which I think is a great gift to give to people. After a couple of years of working in CPS, I decided to go to graduate school to become a teacher and loved being able to talk to both Lorry and Suzie about education and their own history with it. I remember Lorry telling me stories about him being a shop teacher. Anyone in education knows that when you put teachers together we could talk on and on and on forever about the intricacies of public education in the U.S. These conversations were always infused with Lorry´s sense of humor. They were great.
Years later when my fiance and I were planning our wedding, we were trying to include elements from both of our backgrounds (him being Jewish and myself growing up Catholic) and we decided we wanted to have a chuppah in the small chapel we got married in. Lorry being the handyman that he was, made it for us. Suzie helped with the cloth and together they made us a beautiful chuppah. I felt so happy that they were the ones to make that for us. Lorry and Suzie making it made it extra special.
I didn´t know Lorry as long as so many others did, but I certainly feel lucky that I knew him. He was one of my favorite people. He was one of a kind. He was big-hearted, funny, accepting, and one of those people that made you feel seen and important even if he just met you. He was someone to learn from.
Larry Borggren
May 4, 2024
I remember the annual golf trips to southern California in February, I will always remember Lorry's colorful attire (the tie dye shirts) and who can forget the fishing hat with a fish in flight out of the middle of the hat. Always a topic of conversation of what Lorry would be wearing on the first tee.
Kerry Boyle
May 4, 2024
I'll always remember spending the day and evening with Lorry and Sue on the day their first grandchild, Ine, was born. Lorry was beaming with pride and excitement of becoming a grandfather. Rest in peace Lorry
Josh Prudowsky
May 4, 2024
I want to start with immense gratitude that I got to spend so much with you over the 35+ years that I knew you.
In my work we always talk about the importance of every child needing 5 trusted adults in their life. Aside from my parents, You were my #1.
Not sure if you truly realized how magnificent you were. I am sure everyone in this room can attest that you were one of their favorites. You had a gentle power of presence in which everybody could be comfortable with exactly who they were when they were around you.
For some reason its hard for me to come up with specific memories in time with you. It´s more of a feeling and essence of who you were. Kind, patient, fun and absolutely dependable. You were a deeply sensitive soul. I know it hurt you to the core when of your kids or one of us were in discomfort but you never projected your stress or anxiety on others.
Some of the first things that come to my mind when I think about you:
As a child spending time at your house. You, Suzie, Sean and Jenny were like my second family.
You took me to my first and last WWF wresting match. So much fun. You bought me a championship belt.
Your fashion. Especially your button up cowboy shirts and camper shoes.
As teens we did some things we weren´t supposed to. When we broke the rules it was always best to be caught by you.
You were the best landlord ever. So good in fact that both you and Pat, another incredible human we recently lost, would come over to dinner at least once a month with all us. Others in the building would often request your presence.
I always looked forward to our October Michigan cleanups. Your paper plate to do lists and chatting on the back porch with our oversized Costco bottle of tequila.
While those final years, for different reasons, were rough. I think most people in this room would agree with me that hanging with you was always an easy, pleasant and humorous experience.
Love you Lorry I will always try my best to be kind to others just like you.
Michael Deutsch
May 4, 2024
Lorry was my fraternity brother at Tau Epsilon Phi (Teps) at the University of Illinois i He was a beautiful, caring and loving person. After college I was involved in recruiting him along with Susie to join the office staff of the National Lawyers Guild in Chicago. They along with Ed Schwartz and Adi Kahn were instrumental in helping to save the Guild at a critical time. For the next fifty years Lorry remained my friend. He was a wonderful comrade.
Maurine Solock
May 4, 2024
Lorry was a creative. He was a leader of our tribe in his own unassuming way. He had a quiet strength and was as stubborn as they come. He held firm to his beliefs, was true to himself and truly unique. Nobody wore a cowboy shirt like Lorry. He was stylin and loved color and design. He never missed a craft fair. He once owned an antique furniture stripping business. He did much of the initial remodeling on his own house. He built his own boat and made pull toys for the babies. He loved Suzie's projects even when he complained. Lorry was deeply caring, a worrier and hard on himself. He had a profound ability to connect with others. We loved him dearly.
Michelle Brand
May 3, 2024
I can't remember my first time meeting Lorry, but I do remember that he was always a kind and gentle soul. Every time we were together he made me feel like I was the most important person around. He loved calling me his favorite cousin and in my adult years our families really bonded. I have wonderful memories of Lorry being the best camp director at Sister Lake, taking us on boat rides, lighting camp fires and sitting around talking about anything. To more recently allowing two of our girls to live in their three flat. Lorry had this incredible way of making everyone around him feel special. I have a beautiful image of Lorry and Warren sitting on a dock somewhere fishing and talking about knives, kids, and just truly enjoying being together as they continue to watch over all of us in a different way.
Jeffrey brown
May 3, 2024
Lorry was my landlord in college. He rented us the basement apt and was so cool about everything. He had that "been there done that" vibe. As I was friends with his daughter Jenny, I saw him through the years and he was always kind and generous. When The Grateful Dead played their final shows in 2015 he let us all stay at his house while he and Sue were out of town. I will miss seeing him smile and am so grateful to have known him. Rest easy Lorry.
Barbara Engel
May 3, 2024
I met Suzie in 1976, we worked together at a 4 person office addressing
child abuse. Soon after that I met Lorry and marveled at Lorry and Suzie's loving relationship. I remember his kindness, his warmth and his easy way of just being, he didn't need center stage. He didn't judge, he made you feel comfortable and I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better. I have appreciated from afar the continuing commitment of Suzie and Lorry to support each other through all of life's challenges until death. He was a sweet, good man and loving father. I wish the family love and peace.
Stacey Koerner Rustin
May 3, 2024
I first met Lorry at the North branch saloon in the 70´s. He was wearing sandals in the middle of winter. I knew he was an original then. He was always so warm and open to me who was just Maurine´s little sister. I will always remember him taking the kids fishing and showing them yoga in Michigan. We will miss him.
Peg Dublin
May 3, 2024
I first met Lorry when Jenny was about 3 years old. Lorry always felt like an old friend, always warm and caring, funny and non-judgemental. Always a wonderful father to his kids and kind to all kids. We were in Playgroup together with Sean and Luke. I always wished I had spent more time with Lorry, it was never enough. I was fortunate to know Lorry. He will be missed.
Jessica Brand
May 2, 2024
I have some truly lovely memories with Lorry at Sister Lakes. There was one summer when I got to spend more 1:1 time with Lorry than I had up to that point. I don't remember exactly what we talked about or what we did. They were loving, thoughtful, quiet conversations peppered throughout the entire trip. At one point, I remember Lorry winking at me with a soft smile and discretely handing me a $20 bill ;). That was a lot for me as a younger kid! I remember him hugging me and telling me he loved me. I remember feeling special and feeling cared for. I'll never forget it.
Marty Cohen
May 2, 2024
I'm not sure what year it was when Lorry showed up at the old Lillstreet Studios near the Altgeld homestead, probably around '78 or '79. We had an old coke machine that we filled with cheap beer from Lasser's Beverage and sold for a quarter. One day, there was our neighbor Lorry, and for a while he became a regular at the machine; immediately he became a friend.
Lorry was as generous and unassuming as anybody I've ever known. We have two 8-foot wood planters in our yard that he showed up with one day after making them at the park district woodshop maybe a decade ago, maybe more. As every year they will soon be filled with flowers, and I expect Lorry's handiwork to outlast all of us.
Andra Gomberg
May 2, 2024
I always think of Lorry welcoming everyone to the Cinco de Mayo parties at Salsedo Press. What a wonderful memory!
Jonathan Moore
May 2, 2024
His kindness
Jim Fennerty
May 2, 2024
I remember as someone who would smile and laugh. A great sense of humor.
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