Nathan Schiff ("Nicky")

Nathan Schiff, 88, of Highwood, IL, formerly Wheeling, IL, and Bronx and Brooklyn, NY passed away after a long illness on April 1, 2024. He is predeceased by his wife, Barbara (nèe Musler) and his parents, Simon and Lilian (nee Denmark) Schiff.   He is survived by his daughters, Linda (Robert) Greenwald and Amy (Donald) Smith, grandson, Zachary, and brother, Oscar Schiff. 

Nathan (Nicky to friends and family) was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  He spent his formative years in Flatbush, Brooklyn where he attended James Madison High School.  He and his brother, Oscar, attended a large summer camp each year where his love for Jazz led him to play the trumpet.  Each morning and evening he played Reveille and TAPS for the entire camp.  

At the age of 25, Nathan married his wife, Barbara.  They, lived in Parkchester, and then Riverdale (both in the Bronx) where they raised two daughters.  Throughout this time, he went back to college at night and earned two Masters degrees in Secondary and Special Education, from Hunter and Mercy Colleges.  He went on to teach social studies for twenty years in Manhattan (NY) and Bronx (NY).

After 37 years of marriage, he was suddenly widowed. He continued to live in the same apartment for the next 17 years.  In 2015, he moved to Illinois to be cared for by family.  He became ill in 2021 which was when he moved to Aliya of Highwood (formerly Aperion Care of Highwood).  He enyoyed a dynamic, life with many friends, at Aliya,  He would walk all of the hallways and meditated in the library each day.  He passed comfortably, with hospice nurses in attendance.

Those who knew Nathan would agree that he was a larger than life person.  He was an avid reader, his interests being American history,  world history, cowboy culture, Native American History and spiritualism  He loved going to yoga classes and studying Reiki.  He was a music lover who could often be found conducting an invisible band with headphones  on.  He also loved his cats, as did his wife, Barbara.  His cat, Mr, Kisses (aka Buddy Boy) found a home with a loving friend when he moved to Aliya.  


Services Private.

Nathan had a huge heart for animals.  In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider giving a gift in his name to:

https://www.humanesociety.org/memorial


"But God will redeem my life from the grave;
He will surely take me to Himself."
Psalm 49:15




Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options in Schiller Park, Illinois.