Harriett Cholden
October 05, 1939
-
January 01, 2026
Funeral
Funeral Date and Time:
Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Funeral Service Information:
Harriett Cholden (née Blot), beloved educator, nearly lifelong Chicagoan, and devoted lover of the arts and the outdoors, died on January 1, 2026, of cardiac arrest at Northwestern Hospital. She was 86 fun filled years old.
Harriett was born in 1939, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Joe and Dora Blot, Polish and Russian immigrants who instilled in her a deep respect for education, culture, and perseverance. She later made Chicago her home, living most of her life on the Near North Side, a neighborhood she loved and knew intimately.
For several decades, Harriett taught at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, where she found her true calling. Teaching was not simply her career but her purpose. She loved the school, its mission, and its community, and in return was cherished by generations of students and admired by faculty and colleagues. Her intellectual curiosity, warmth, and commitment left a lasting impression on all who knew her.
Outside the classroom, Harriett lived fully and passionately. She was an avid lover of opera, art, and museums, and found joy and renewal in long walks along Lake Shore Drive, which she made daily whenever possible. She treasured time spent at her Lake Michigan home and embraced the outdoors year-round, including cross-country skiing in winter months.
Harriett was married to Myron Cholden, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her elder sister, Edith Brin (née Blot). With her death, the long history of Yiddish speakers in the family also comes to a lovely end.
Harriett will be remembered for her intellect, her generosity of spirit, her devotion to students and learning, and her profound appreciation for beauty in all its forms. She leaves behind a legacy shaped by education, culture, and a life attentively lived.
Memorial service Thursday, January 22, 1:00PM at Temple Sholom of Chicago, 3480 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago. Arrangements entrusted to Lakeshore Jewish Funerals, 773-625-8621.
Harriett was born in 1939, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Joe and Dora Blot, Polish and Russian immigrants who instilled in her a deep respect for education, culture, and perseverance. She later made Chicago her home, living most of her life on the Near North Side, a neighborhood she loved and knew intimately.
For several decades, Harriett taught at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, where she found her true calling. Teaching was not simply her career but her purpose. She loved the school, its mission, and its community, and in return was cherished by generations of students and admired by faculty and colleagues. Her intellectual curiosity, warmth, and commitment left a lasting impression on all who knew her.
Outside the classroom, Harriett lived fully and passionately. She was an avid lover of opera, art, and museums, and found joy and renewal in long walks along Lake Shore Drive, which she made daily whenever possible. She treasured time spent at her Lake Michigan home and embraced the outdoors year-round, including cross-country skiing in winter months.
Harriett was married to Myron Cholden, who preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her elder sister, Edith Brin (née Blot). With her death, the long history of Yiddish speakers in the family also comes to a lovely end.
Harriett will be remembered for her intellect, her generosity of spirit, her devotion to students and learning, and her profound appreciation for beauty in all its forms. She leaves behind a legacy shaped by education, culture, and a life attentively lived.
Memorial service Thursday, January 22, 1:00PM at Temple Sholom of Chicago, 3480 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago. Arrangements entrusted to Lakeshore Jewish Funerals, 773-625-8621.
Funeral Provider:
Lakeshore Jewish Funerals
Clergy:
Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky