Rochelle Distelheim, née Shulman, 92, beloved wife of the late Dr. Irving; loving mother of Ellen (Richard Tannenbaum) Distelheim, Laura Distelheim and Lisa (Jefferey Cornett) Barron; cherished grandmother of Nina, Ethan and Isabel Tannenbaum; dear sister of the late Maxine Payne, and adored aunt and great-aunt of many. A west side of Chicago native and long-time Highland Park resident, she was graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and, after receiving her Masters Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois, taught creative writing at Mundelein College. Her short fiction received numerous awards and was published widely in literary journals and anthologies. Her debut novel, Sadie in Love, was published in 2018, when she was ninety. Her second novel, Jerusalem As a Second Language, is due for publication in the Fall. Funeral services are private by necessity. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Medill School of Journalism Scholarship Fund.
