Irene Adler

Irene Adler (née Taylor), 93, a retired violin teacher, formerly of Evanston, died in her sleep on August 7, in Chicago.

Originally from Earlville, NY, Irene's father was a grocer and her mother played piano for silent movies. It was her fiddle-playing grandfather, however, who inspired her to take up violin. Although she characterized her country childhood as idyllic, she was eager for the wider culture of city life.

After graduating from Earlville Central School, Irene enrolled in Northwestern University's School of Music, from which she received her bachelor's and master's degrees in violin performance. Irene's first Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert was-for her-a momentous occasion, and she remained an ardent subscriber for life: the Friday afternoon concert series was one of her great pleasures.

She had many fond memories of her college days, and she was particularly nostalgic about Northwestern's Chapin Hall. Chapin was a co-op dorm for scholarship students, where she washed dishes alongside a future surgeon, formed lifelong friendships with other "Chapin girls," and where she met her husband, Gerry, a talkative journalism student, at a dance.

Irene and Gerry remained in Evanston, where they raised two daughters, Sarah and Laura. For the next 55 years, well into her 80s, Irene shared her love of violin and music with Chicago area children, giving private lessons in her home. She was beloved by students and parents for her warm, encouraging nature as well as her skilled instruction. Among Irene's fondest memories were the summer she played violin in the Tanglewood student orchestra (though she was disappointed to miss Leonard Bernstein's residency by one year), and granddaughter Emma's frequent visits to grandma and grandpa's house as a child.

Irene was devoted to her family, her students, her friends, and to the neighborhood in which her girls grew up. She enjoyed performing the chamber music of Dvorák and Beethoven, vacationing in Chautauqua with her husband, engaging in wide-ranging conversations with Brookdale friends, and sharing her love of books and the arts with her husband, daughters and granddaughter. She was selfless, loving and forgiving to a fault. Special thanks to the staff at Brookdale Lake View in Chicago for their warmth, care, and dedication. She loved Brookdale, and she was heartbroken to learn it would close.

Irene was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Gerald "Gerry" Adler, and she is survived by daughters Sarah (Art) Hoskins of Lexington, KY, and Laura Adler of Chicago; granddaughter Emma Hoskins of Snoqualmie, WA; sister-in-law Dolores (Al) Erlebacher; niece Darcy Gans, and nephews Steve and Ross Erlebacher.

Memorial Service: Saturday, September 20 at 2 p.m., the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Ave. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Chicago Symphony Orchestra or PAWS Chicago.