Naoma Cahr

Naoma Cahr was born Naoma Dreier on February 11, 1940, in Mount Vernon, New York. Devoted Wife, Mother, Sister, and Grandmother, Naoma Cahr was married to her beloved husband, Michael, for 62 years and leaves behind her son, Darren Cahr, her daughter, Michelle Cahr, her grandchildren Ian Cahr and Molly Cahr, daughter-in-law Sandra Virtue, sisters Cyd Berman and Phyllis Marx, and brother Steven Dreier. During her extraordinary life as the child of first generation immigrants, Naoma was always best understood through the lens of her first career: teacher. A teaching graduate of what is now SUNY College at Cortland, she later earned a master's degree in educational psychology from Columbia University, and taught in the schools of Monsey, New York. In fact, she was the first member of her extended family to attend either college or graduate school. She used her summers off from classes to travel the country and later the world in the early 1960s, driving with her best friend into obscure corners of Europe at a time when adventures for young women were discouraged. While her official career as an educator ended when she began a family with her husband, her urge to teach and to guide others never stopped. In fact, her influence was felt by generations of family, friends, and the broader community for decades to come. She was also sensitive to the needs of others at all times: When a friend or a family member needed an ear, she was there. When a school play needed a makeup artist, she was there. When anyone had a problem, she was the source of wise counsel sought by all. She spent years as the Welcome Wagon representative for Highland Park, and took immense joy in teaching new residents about their new town and new neighbors. She could be found throughout her life playing on the floor with her children and grandchildren, making elaborate puns and silly jokes while she built Lego towers, singing Barry Manilow songs or showtunes with altered lyrics to match their games. She loved the theater, and could sing the soundtrack to innumerable Broadway shows she attended with her husband over the decades. Her skills as a pianist were an inspiration to her children, who inherited her love of music, and her well developed skills as a painter and sculptor are still on display throughout the house she shared with her husband. Above all else, Naoma was widely understood by her friends and her extended family to be one of the nicest, warmest, and (quite literally) best people any of them had known. Her charm was balanced by a subtle and unexpectedly sharp wit that never diminished, even in the face of her battles with illness later in life. Naoma Cahr was loved by everyone who ever met her and made everyone who met her into a better person. But perhaps most importantly she also made them laugh, and her smile will never be forgotten. The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful Caregivers who worked with Naoma over the last few years: Emilia, Anya, Nitaya, Hanna and Grecia. Thanks also to the Skilled Nursing Staff at Balmoral Care Center and the fabulous group of nurses and others at D-2 area of Lake Forest Hospital. Most of all, we want to emphasize the dedication, warmth and skills of Dr. David Smiley. Services will be held at noon on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, 1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035. Interment at Memorial Park Cemetery, 9900 Gross Point Road, Skokie, IL 60076. To view the funeral online, please visit our website. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Donation Processing, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741 www.michaeljfox.org would be appreciated. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com