Elizabeth L. Joksimovic Foundation

07/13/2025

Only 3 weeks away!! We hope you can make it on Sunday, August 3!

To register or donate, please go to eljfoundation.org

09/07/2024

It’s hard to believe that Beth has been gone for 18 years today! We definitely felt her presence a few weeks ago when we held our first in person fundraiser in 5 years. We are so proud of Beth’s children, Ike and Ella, for stepping up and helping to organize a very successful Night at the Improv at iO Theater in Chicago. Also, big thanks to Beth’s niece, Claire and her wife Rachel for helping with the raffle. We raised over $1,500 in just a couple of hours! We also have a new website. Please check out eljfoundation.org We will be continuing to update it regularly! We look forward to seeing you at our next event- possibly in Ike’s new city of Brooklyn, NY!

06/12/2024

SAVE THE DATE!! After a five year hiatus, we are excited to announce “A Night at The Improv” on Thursday, August 15! Details and registration information to be posted soon.

03/22/2024

03/22/2024

Happy heavenly birthday Beth! Born in ‘62 and would have been 62 today.

Her birthday always fell during March Madness and all 3 of the Joksimovic siblings attended Big 10 schools (Beth & Shelley graduated from Illinois and Mike from Indiana), so there was definitely some family rivalry. As the Illini advance to the next round, we’re thinking of Beth on this day! Pictures are from all 3 of our college graduations. Sorry IU that you didn’t make it this year, but you’ve had your share of championships!

09/06/2023

Today marks 17 years since we lost Beth and although it is a bittersweet anniversary, Beth did love celebrations.

With that in mind, the JokNierGold blended family shared some very special celebrations this summer. Beth’s daughter Ella graduated from the University of Denver in June and her nephew John got married in New Mexico in August.

Ike and Ella are both back living in the Chicago area now and we are proud to announce that they are both going to be taking on bigger roles within the foundation. We are altering our mission to include more focus on stomach cancer research and oncology nursing scholarships. Ike and Ella are excited to reintroduce fundraising events for the foundation in the Windy City again in the future! Please stay tuned...

03/23/2023

Today would have been Beth’s birthday and I have been trying to figure out what to post here to recognize it. Then I noticed that my high school friend just sent me a message with this picture. I guess that’s one advantage of having such an unusual last name. If the plaque had read Beth Smith, she may not have noticed it.

As a reference, Beth’s family and friends donated this plaque to the cancer unit at Rush Hospital shortly after Beth passed in 2006. Beth spent the majority of her working career in the philanthropy and development office at Rush and was extremely proud of the work she did for the hospital. In turn, we wanted to give back to the place and people she loved to work with.

So on this bittersweet day, thank you my friend, for showing me that Beth’s legacy continues to live on.

03/23/2022

I found this a few years ago when we sold the house on Burton Avenue. It came as no surprise that Beth’s birth announcement also served as a change of address card.

In honor of what would have been her 60th birthday I’m celebrating with a glass of red wine and some dark chocolate. I hope you can do the same.

09/06/2021

15 years ago today...

Seems like a minute and a lifetime.

Thanks to my friends Julie & Priscilla for joining me once again on the beach in Michigan City to toast to Beth at sunset last night. It was a beautiful day!

This place was very special to Beth & her family and now it’s special to me as well.

05/06/2021

Today is National Nurses Day and Beth’s Fund was thrilled to be a part of Rush University Medical Center’s Nurses Week honors presentation.

Congratulations to Hayley Lesnik and Edward Unruh, the 2021 recipients of the Beth Joksimovic Oncology Professional Development Awards!