Paul was born in Wlodawa, Poland on February 2, 1925 to Yosel and Blima (Wildman) Edelsberg who both perished in the Holocaust along with Paul’s sisters Etel and Tema. Paul was 14 when the Germans invaded Wlodawa, and life as he knew it was forever changed. He fought as part of the resistance with Lichtenberg, a Jewish Partisan group, and later a Russian underground unit. In 1944 his group was mobilized and trained by the Russian army with whom he fought until the end of the war.
As the sole survivor of his family, Paul left Poland after the war and lived in Germany for 5 years before coming to America in 1951. He settled in Chicago, where he had friends from Poland and Germany who were of help in acclimating to his adopted country. After working various jobs in a foundry and as a Fuller Brush man, in 1961 Paul started Commercial Leather, a business manufacturing pet supplies. He remained at the helm until retiring in 2004 at the age of 79.
Paul enjoyed playing tennis, watching soccer, good hearty meals, kibitzing and playing cards with his friends, and, most important, any and all time with his family.
Paul was preceded in death by his first wife, Carole (Gerberding) Edelsberg.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Sally (Comins) Edelsberg, his daughter Tema Edelsberg Bomback and her husband Mark Bomback, and his four grandchildren Miles Bomback, Caroline Bomback, Annie Bomback, and Phoebe Bomback.
A graveside service will be held Monday, October 2, 2023, 1:00 PM at Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60660.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul Edelsberg’s memory to the following:
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
https://donate.ushmm.org/6hRw6kqugUOvJLNKCIbD1g2
100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW
Washington, DC 20024
OR
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
https://my.luriechildrens.org/page/43035/donate/1
225 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.weinsteinfuneralhomes.com for the Edelsberg family.
