Sheldon "Shelly" C. Prais

Sheldon “Shelly” Prais, age 84, of Libertyville and formerly a longtime resident of Highland Park, passed away peacefully on August 8, 2023. Shelly was born on October 29,1938 in Lake Forest, IL, the youngest of 3 boys, to the late Benard and the late Evelyne (Sumerski) Prais. He attended The Gorton School in Lake Forest, Lake Forest High School, and Lincoln College of Technology. Shelly, following in his older brother’s footsteps, spent his early adult years in public service as a fireman for Lake Forest Fire Department and then as a police officer in Highland Park. For the bulk of his career, he worked at Wenban Buick and Knauz auto dealerships in Lake Forest, where he was a well-respected salesman and manager for nearly 50 years. Shelly was well known in the community and treated his customers like family. He was active in his community as a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, Rotary Club, and Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce. He also loved to coach youth softball for Deerfield Park district. Shelly was an exceptional athlete who loved playing sports. He was an enthusiastic sportsman his whole life. He loved all the Chicago teams and watched every sport as often as he could. He was an avid golfer and could often be found at Deerpath Golf Course in his free time. He was the happiest out on the course and was exceptional at the game. He played and won many tournaments over the years. That was where he was most relaxed. In addition, he loved fishing and always looked forward to spending time with his buddies on their annual fishing trip to Canada. He was married to Marylee (Hake) Prais for 62 years. He was the cherished father of Brad (Pam) Prais, Scott (Chris) Prais and Lynne (Paul) Goodman; beloved grandfather to Laura, Elizabeth, Catherine, Carly, Ryan, Brooke, Brittany, Daniel, and Brandon; and adored great-grandfather of Olivia and Evelyn. He was preceded in death by his brothers Bernard “Bub” (the late Pat) Prais and the late Byron (Ruth) Prais. A Memorial Gathering will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, October 29, 2023 at Gorton Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. In lieu of flowers, please honor Shelly by making a donation by mail only to LF & LB Friends Foundation/Deerpath Junior Golf Program, 500 W. Deerpath Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 (847-810-3888) or Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at www.alzfdn.org.

Sheldon "Shelly" C. Prais

October 29, 1938 - August 8, 2023