Lorraine Eisenberg

On Sunday, December 3rd, my mother, Lorraine Gayle transitioned from an earthly body to spirit.

She was born in New York City to a big family + always adored a close-knit family.  She spoke very fondly of her sister, “Cookie,” her niece Kendra + her beloved brother “Wally” whose life was short-lived.  As a young woman one of her life’s goals was to have a family.  She took pride in raising a family + creating an environment where her children would thrive.  

As a teen she met her husband, Steven, on a blind date. Shortly after they became coupled, living in Greenwich Village + attending + working at NYU (New York University), a time both her + my father spoke of highly.  She was often styled with sophistication + grace + with her new husband at her side they were very active in the New York City art scene, often attending plays, opera’s + the cultural scenes of NYC.

In search of a quieter place to raise a family, Chicago created that opportunity + they lived the 2nd half of her life in the Western Suburbs.  Shortly after, she had 2 children: Kimberly + Alexander.  My mother’s happiest pictures are evident in her hand-crafted + designed childhood albums.  Oversaturated with baby pictures + albums documenting every move, word + glorious birthday celebrations, she loved + lived to be a mother.  

A decade after having her first born, she started her journey as a therapist, getting her Bachelor's at George Williams College in Lake Geneva + a Master’s at Benedictine University.  She adored the beauty of the Lake Geneva Campus as it sits on the gorgeous Lake Geneva surrounded by beauty + nature walks circling the lake + as a family we often revisited it.  She was credentialed in social work both in social work + as an Addictions Counselor. Her work was geared towards helping others overcome addictions, increase intimacy in their relationships, use meditation to gain peace in marriage, families, in divorce + in crisis situations.   

She contributed her expertise at Hinsdale, Linden Oaks + Elmhurst Hospitals + had a thriving private practice for 20+ years.  She spent countless years dedicating her life to helping others create mental sanity, peace + thriving independence in their lives.  Her clients often praised her influence + she valued her contributions.  She was a helper + an incredible healer.  She was an active donator to social causes, a humanitarian at heart, had an affinity for kids + animals, plants + all living things.  Peace, quiet, helping others, time with family + in nature were her happy places. 

Additionally, my mother was an incredible multi-talented Renaissance woman. 

She was brilliantly creative + each decade a new passion emerged.  

She was a master gardener, always tending to her garden, planting, designing + nurturing her plant “babies” in her garden throughout the spring - fall seasons.  She was often found arranging her hand crafted floral bouquets from her garden to decorate her home.  She was meticulous with her home, keeping it beautifully decorated + clean.  She grew her own garden in back + used it in her cooking.  She led a sustainable + eco-conscious by example. 

She relished in home design.  She designed the landscape of the entire periphery of her homes, from front to back + did the same for any home we lived in. Her landscape design expertise, plant knowledge + gardening wisdom was impeccable. It gave those with former knowledge + schooling a run for their money.  She had an incredible way for finding a bargain, combining practicality + artistic design to create a haven of artistic delight coupled with cozyness.  

As an athlete of the pool, she had more swimming equipment than an Olympic swimmer + she was known to swim a mile religiously in the pool weekly.  You’d see her in the professional lanes with perfect backstroke, often admired by many.

She was a natural beauty + had a beautiful fashion sense. She has a meticulous + religiously day + night time Clinique skincare routine before those became popular.  Her style was multi-layered + full of color + vibrancy, her favorite color being red. She knew diamonds like no other, understood all the principles that make jewelry high quality + relished on her own.  Seh frequently shopped the fashion aisles in Nordstrom, Von Maur + Macy’s.  She loved elegance, grace, sophistication + her style reflected those principles in her outfits + in her jewelry pieces. 

She was also graciously known for her delicious spaghetti gravy, her *LOVE* for the holiday season + in crafting abundant September birthday celebrations for us (the 3 of us with birthdays in September). 

As a Bronx born, Long Islander raised woman, she valued being direct. You could count on her advice to be wise, quickly, thoughtfully analyzed + an answer quickly returned to you with practicality.  She had a tough love approach that made those with a faint of heart uncomfortable but you couldn’t help but have respect for her candidness.  She had a knack for taking a highly emotional situation + re-framing it into grounding + reality so there was a clear path of moving forward.  She brought that skill into her therapy sessions + abundant client thank you letters + gifts followed in her guidance.   As her daughter, I always valued her analytical skills + those resulting in her strong decision making skills.

She was a master organizer, she had millions of lists + always was getting stuff done. The things she could get done in a day, week or month was incredible. She balanced a home, children, her job, her private practice, the landscaping, outsourcing + a marriage methodically well. 

She was a financial whizz.  She knew money.  I often called her a “Bank” because she was religious at managing her financial affairs. If she wasn’t at the bank, she was managing things online + she was delighted by reward points.  It made her so happy.  She also loved a bargain + she was an expert at stretching money + savings accounts.  She took pride in commitment, consistency + compounded benefits.  This was obvious when AMEX often greeted her with “Thank you for your 50 Years of service.”

In so many ways, my mom lives on in her children, missed by her life partner Steven + her niece + in the gratitude of her former clients.  Saturated in the beauty of traditions + respect it was saturated in everything she cared about + touched.  It was by no surprise she loved Turner Movie Classics because she was an elegant beauty + a true classic.  She will continue to live on forever in our spirits, in the creative arts + in her children's kindness + humanitarian ways. 

Written by her daughter: Kimberly H.

“Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children + the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life.” Albert Einstein 

Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options of Schiller Park, IL