Shelvin Singer OBITUARY

Shelvin Singer OBITUARY

Judge Shelvin Singer, 95, beloved husband of Gloria Singer, née Green, happily married for 66 wonderful years; loving father of Alan (Kathy), Stephen (Jancy Hoeffel) and Ann (Alan Miles) Singer; cherished grandfather of David, Sara, Benjamin and Sam Singer and Anthony Booth; dear brother of Donald Singer, the late Mitchell and the late David Singer passed away on the evening of June 17, 2026. Judge Singer was born, raised and lived his entire life in the Chicago area. He grew up in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago two blocks from Wrigley Field. He graduated from Lakeview High and earned his undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He subsequently earned a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was honorably discharged from the Army after service that included extended time as a surveyor in the wilds of Alaska. Using the G.I. Bill, he earned his Juris Doctor from DePaul Law School, which became his career and life’s work and passion along with his family, friends, and travel. Soon after the landmark United States Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright was decided, giving poor people the right to an attorney supplied by the government, he joined the Cook County Public Defender’s Office where he represented several high-profile clients, and met lifelong friends including Marshall Hartman and Theodore “Ted” Gottfried. His passion for the law eventually led him to become a Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent Law School where he further developed his expertise in criminal law and procedure writing numerous articles and a casebook. He particularly enjoyed and was committed to teaching in the law school’s innovative evening program that catered to less affluent students who, like himself, needed to work their way through school. Although he was rigorous and could be a demanding professor, he was beloved by his colleagues and students, maintaining close friendships long after he, his colleagues and his students had left academic life. After a distinguished career as teacher, scholar, and academic colleague, he was honored to be appointed to a judgeship by the Illinois Supreme Court for an interim vacancy on the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Criminal Division. He subsequently was elected by the citizens of Cook County to the position and retained, serving three six-year terms on the bench, handling all manner of criminal cases from homicides and other serious felonies to less serious misdemeanors. He was known as a fair and compassionate judge, though with his background as a law professor and criminal law scholar he could be especially exacting on the lawyers who appeared before him. His retirement from the bench and active practice gave him the opportunity to spend more time doing things he loved most, traveling and exploring the world with his beloved wife Gloria, spending quality time with friends and family, and riding his bike all around the Chicago area’s north shore. He was well known for his outgoing, gregarious nature always greeting his kids and friends with “Dad Jokes” and phrases including his trademark “By Golly!” Though he will be dearly missed, his family, friends, and those whose lives he touched are heartened by the long, full, and rewarding life he led.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org). Chapel service Monday, June 29, 2026, 2:30 PM at Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. Interment following at Shalom Memorial Park. For information, including a link to view the service online, shiva, and to leave condolences, www.shalommemorial.org or (847) 255-3520.