SR0570 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0570 LRB096 17615 GRL 32973 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Esther N. Schulman of Chicago, who passed away on August 31, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Esther Schulman was raised on the Chicago's West Side; she was the daughter of Isadore and Sadie Nettis; after graduating from Marshall High School in 1936, she went to work at her father's business, the California Ale & Beverage Company in Chicago, while studying accounting at night; and

WHEREAS, Shortly after the end of World War II, Esther Schulman was introduced by mutual friends to an older neighborhood resident, Eli Schulman; the couple married in 1948 in Chicago; together, the pair opened a grill at Sheridan Road and Argyle Street in Chicago; in 1962, her husband decided to open Eli's Stage Delicatessen on Oak Street; the business quickly became a success, attracting many stars of the era; in 1966, Eli and Esther opened Eli's the Place for Steak in a luxury hotel called the Carriage House on Chicago Avenue; despite the restaurant's many dishes, the most renowned item was the cheesecake, which became so popular that Eli started selling it to grocery stores in the early 1980s; today, Eli's Cheesecake Chicago operates out of a Northwest Side factory, which bakes more than 18,000 cheesecakes and desserts daily for sale throughout the country and internationally; and

WHEREAS, After her husband's death in 1988, Esther Schulman took a more prominent role in the restaurant until it closed in 2005; she worked in the office during the days and in the dining room at night, charming a wide variety of guests, from tourists to President Bill Clinton and Frank Sinatra; she was also involved in the fundraising efforts to rebuild Seneca Park and create the Eli M. Schulman Playground, both across the street from the site of Eli's; and

WHEREAS, In her later years, Esther Schulman enjoyed spending afternoons in the park and watching children play; she also supported hundreds of local civic and charitable groups with donations of desserts and money; and

WHEREAS, Esther Schulman was preceded in death by her parents and her husband; and

WHEREAS, Esther Schulman is survived her son, Marc, and her 3 granddaughters; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Esther N. Schulman; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Esther Schulman as an expression of our sympathy.