Beate Billa Dublon

Beate Billa Dublon (nee Lowenstein), age 105, passed away on the evening of June 14, 2025 in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Beate is survived by her daughter, Felice Jacqueline Dublon and her husband, Michael DiMuzio; grandson, Jacob Dublon DiMuzio and his wife, Noelle Rose. Beate married Herbert Fritz Dublon, who preceded Beate in death in 1991.

Beate was born in the village of Meudt, Germany into the family of Jakob and Paula Lowenstein and had a younger brother, Siegbert, who was killed at 17 years of age in a concentration camp and Jakob and Paula also perished as a direct result of the holocaust: Jakob died in 1939 in Brussels, Belgium after release from multiple camps and Paula died at the Sobibor Death Camp.

Beate loved to attend school in her small community and had a clear and happy remembrance of being a very athletic student. She was the fastest runner in the 100-meters sprints in Meudt and in competitions with the neighboring communities. In 1932, students from Meudt and the near communities participated in a joint Sporting event where Beate won the 100-meter sprints. As a result, she was awarded a Special Document honoring this achievement and it was to be read in her school for all to hear, but because Beate was Jewish, the award citation was withdrawn.

In Meudt, Beate received Jewish religious instruction through the orthodox rabbi and in 1933, Beate finished her schooling in Meudt. At that point the Nazis assumed power and, in Meudt, as throughout the whole Third Reich, life became more and more difficult for the Jewish people.

On November 10, 1938 Beate together with many of the Jewish people of Meudt were herded in front of the Meudt Synagogue and were made to helplessly watch as they burned and destroyed the Synagogue. Moreover, the Nazis threatened to chase them all into the burning structure.

Beate, now 18 years of age, received a work permit for England. On January 18, 1939, Beate left for Cologne and finally by ferry to England. She worked first as a housemaid in London and, then, in Scotland, in a dress shop of a friend back in London. During the war years, Beate became a member of the illustrious Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War in which she attained the rank of corporal and serving mostly in London from 1940 to 1945.

At wars end in May 1945, she resumed working in the London dress shop. Beate and a good friend decided to leave England for good in 1948. By that time, Beate was a British citizen holding a United Kingdom Passport. She arrived in North America via Montreal, Canada, and then to Green Bay, Wisconsin to visit distant relatives. Seeking employment for her dress making skills, she migrated to Chicago, Illinois in January of 1949. Shortly thereafter, Beate met Herbert Fritz Dublon, who had also fled Hitler from Essen, Germany in 1939 with his parents and sister finally settling in Chicago in 1940.

Beate and Herbert were married on August 15, 1949 and lived in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. Felice was born on March 20, 1953 in Hyde Park, later they moved to Homewood, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, and purchased their first and only home.

Beate and Herbert traveled often and they visited Meudt many times. Beate’s last visit to Meudt was in January 2015 at age 95 with Michael and Felice. Jacob and Noelle, Felice and Michael participated in the memorial ceremony at Meudt’s Jewish Cemetery on National Mourning Day in November 2018.

Jacob was born in May 1990, thus opening a new world for Beate, who instantly took on a new persona: Oma! As Oma, she devoted a new found energy for living. Oma insisted that she be the only babysitter for Jacob---it’s family and saves worry and money. When he began preschool…Oma, of course, volunteered as a teacher’s helper. Jacob reveled in this attention as did his school friends that benefited from her love and attention. Her Gold-Schatz was a joy to behold and yes, he was spoiled, but only with her old world love of family love and attention.

Since 2018, Beate lived in an assisted living home in the same Village of Lincolnshire, where Felice and Michael have resided for the past 30 years

Join me in the celebration with family, relatives, friends and acquaintances who join us today here and in spirit of many blessings for Beate at this time and thanking her for the amazing joy she provides us all in life.

The family requests gifts be made to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for the support of students through Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) (www.saic.edu/give) or Office of Advancement 116 S. Michigan Ave, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603 or The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center online or call 847-967-4821.

For shiva information please contact the funeral home at 847-256-5700.