Funeral Details

Caryn Berman, 61

Beloved wife for 36 years of Laura Cuzzillo, daughter of Rachel and the late Paul Berman, loving sister of Susan (Steven) Lapidus and Steven Berman, cherished aunt and great-aunt, and steadfast friend of so many, passed away on September 1, 2014, following a courageous 5-year struggle with ovarian cancer. Originally from Rosedale, N.Y., Caryn attended SUNY-Stoneybrook, then worked for the federal Centers for Disease Control and was transferred to Chicago in 1976. She subsequently earned her A.M. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration and became an early leader in Chicago’s LGBT community. Motivated by the death of a friend to AIDS in 1985, Caryn became an influential HIV/AIDS educator, policymaker, and service provider through her work with Center on Halsted (formerly Horizons Community Services), Heartland Alliance (formerly Travelers and Immigrants Aid), The AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In honor of her decades of compassionate leadership, she was awarded the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame Award in 1995. Caryn subsequently became a Senior Manager at Deloitte. Friends, family and co-workers mourn the loss of a woman of singular courage, energy and passion. Donations in Caryn’s memory may be made to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer. For shiva information and future memorial service, contact Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com