Sheldon J. Bochner

Sheldon J. Bochner, loved husband, father, boyfriend, grandfather, son, brother, friend, partner, mentor, teacher, and businessman, passed on 7/5/2025, at 97 years old. Shel, or Shelly, as he was known to all, except his sons, who adoringly, and with utmost respect, always called him, "Pop," was loved by, and will be missed by, all. Shelly was born to his father, Benjamin, and his mother, Eva, who raised him with little wealth, but much love, through the depression years, after his birth, October, 11, 1927. His brother Norman, 10 years older, took great pride in mentoring Shelly, perhaps especially after the unfortunate death of Eva, when Shelly was just 18 years old, and due to the illness of Benjamin, who was stricken with diabetes, and who also passed too soon, when Shelly was 26 years old.

Shelly was, in many ways, defined by his relationships, and how he augmented and nurtured them. Shelly met his first great love, Sandra, who was known as Sandy (thus allowing them to be known as the beach lovers, Sandy and Shelly) at age 27, and they soon had their first child, Ben, named after Shelly's father, as well as four other sons, over a 10 year period, Mike, Ron, Dan, and Craig (Corky). Shelly took great pride in his children, but he took especially deep pride and enjoyment in his grandchildren, Ben's Shoshona, Mike's Sylvia and Emma, Dan's Henry and Owen, and Corky's Jackson and Addie. Shelly and Sandy were a shining example of cooperation and teamwork as parents, as Shelly always shared his admiration for Sandy to anyone who would listen, and they supported each other in devoting themselves to their five rambunctious and troublesome boys. Shelly shared everything with Sandy, including progressive mores, a love of art and literature, and sharing great food with loved ones and people they would meet (Shelly would frequently say, "food is love"). Shelly would muse about how Sandy was both a great inspiration, and also a great challenge, and would opine that no genuine love could be one without the other. As part of his professional life, Shelly utilized his dry-cleaning business, Downtown Cleaners, as a way to ensure his boys would learn diligence and responsibility, as each of them were expected to work, from early ages, on Saturdays and during summers. Meanwhile, Sandy taught independence, and a questioning artistic spirit, and allowed her boys to doubt authority. What a mix!? After almost 50 years of marriage, Shelly was devastated to lose his love and muse, Sandy. However, determined to live with the great verve for life he had always embodied, Shelly met his next great love, Elaine who, like Sandy, enjoyed culture, art, the library (She and Sandy were both librarians), and serving as a docent in the theatre (most likely, the part of that which makes admission free was especially enticing to Shelly). With a gleam in his eye, Shelly would also brag of Elaine, who was dedicated to health and exercise, "and she's a jock!" Elaine has been dedicated to Shelly, and he to her, his "darling Elaine." Of course, Elaine is also dedicated to her own family, and Shelly would frequently say how grateful he was for her three boys and their partners, who lovingly accepted him into their lives.

Through his life, Shelly has been an enterprising businessman, and a great leader and patron to his employees, and a wonderful husband, father, and boyfriend, but he was also a great intellect, and he spent the last third of his life educating himself in every way he could. He loved to share the amazing things he had learned and discovered through study, travel, and observation, imparting wisdom and incisive insight to his children and grandchildren, and embarking into challenging conversation with anyone he could engage. In his later years, Shelly became a part of his community through leading, and taking part in, discussion groups on many topics, including politics and history and poetry. Shelly was the essence of what it means to be a great great man. One common thread through everything Shelly did, was his deep love of his time on earth, and his great depth of love for everyone with whom he became related, whether that relation was through family, work, or his great respect and yearning for fairness and equality for everyone, regardless of color or creed. He was always admired by his children, who looked up to him as a paragon of virtue as well as judgment and prudence. He was generally admired by all who knew him, and he will be desperately missed by those who knew him well. All who loved Shelly will always know they were greater for that pleasure.

Shelly is survived by his four living sons, their families, and his loving girlfriend, Elaine, and her family.

Shelly's funeral will be held at 10:00 AM, Monday July 14, at Zion Gardens Cemetery, 6758 West Addison Street. Arrangements by and shiva details at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 847.229.8822, info@cjf.com.