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Stephen Charles Shamberg, age 80, passed away on April 23, 2020, in Bend, Oregon. He was born on May 2, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois to Jacob and Ethel (Lasky) Shamberg. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka. He graduated with honors from Tulane University where he majored in Philosophy and minored in English, specializing in Shakespeare. Steve was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu, and an Omicron Delta Kappa honorary fellow. Steve graduated from Harvard Law School in 1964. Steve possessed a smooth calmness coupled with a razor-sharp mind and a never-ending thirst for knowledge. He had a great sense of humor and adventure, as well as a keen eye for black and white photography. Steve also loved sailing out of Chicago's Monroe Harbor, on his J30, Fantasy. Though he was not a religious man, he was proud of his Jewish heritage and formed by its culture, humor, traditions, love of learning, and sense of justice. His strong belief in social justice inspired him to establish the Neighborhood Legal Assistance Center in 1965, to help the underserved residents of Chicago's Cabrini-Green neighborhood. Steve clerked for Federal Judge Bernard Decker, and was at the time possibly the youngest person to serve on the Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Association. He was also admitted to the Supreme Court Bar of the United States, and to the Oregon State Bar. Steve was a founding member of the Chicago Lincoln American Inn of Court. He was the initial organizer and signer of the application for the charter in March 1991. He served as the Inn's President and Head of the Executive Committee from 1991 to 1994. Since that time, hundreds, if not thousands of Chicago attorneys and judges have had the opportunity to come together, break bread, and contribute to the mission of the American Inns of Court, which is "...to inspire the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring." In 2006, after moving to Bend, Oregon, he joined the J. R. Campbell American Inn of Court as "Master of the Bench." He practiced law for over forty years in Illinois and Oregon, until retiring for the second time in 2007. On June 6, 1995, Steve met Jan Jolivette, the love of his life, through a mutual friend. He emailed Jan latitude and longitude coordinates of their blind date, which turned out to be a romantic park bench overlooking Chicago's Montrose Harbor. Steve walked up to her, lifted her sunglasses and said, "You are cute!" That was the beginning of an enchanting courtship that led to a loving marriage of almost 24 years. In 2003, they exchanged the tall buildings of Chicago for the even taller mountains of Central Oregon. He is survived by his much beloved wife, Janet Jolivette Shamberg of Bend, Oregon; his son, John J. Shamberg and daughter-in-law Jarrel lu-Hui Chua of San Francisco, California; his brother, Michael A. Shamberg and sister-in-law Carla Santos Shamberg of Santa Monica, California, and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution be made in his name to the Humane Society of Central Oregon, 61170 SE 27th St, Bend, OR 97702 or Partners in Care Hospice, 2075 NW Wyatt Ct. Bend, OR 97701. Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home is honored to serve the family. 541-382-2471.

Tributes

Stephen "Steve" Charles Shamberg

May 2, 1939 - April 23, 2020