Deborah Danoff
1934-2025
Deborah Danoff (Debby), 91, passed away on December 20, 2025, in Rochester, MN. Debby was born and raised in Chicago, and after she raised her own family in Decatur, IL, she returned to Chicago. She moved to Rochester in her later years to be with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Although Debby did not seek out leadership roles, she willingly stepped up when there was a need. She was a girl scout leader, PTA treasurer, and mother to all who entered her home. The door was always open, and the refrigerator was always full. She had a passion for making the world a better place both in her own circle, welcoming two teenagers into the family, and the wider world, actively participating in politics. Of course, she supported and was proud of her “baby” sister, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
In her leisure time, she played mahjong, canasta, Scrabble, and Words with Friends. She was a lifelong Cub fan and loved going to games in person. She relished her time at her beach house in Michigan City, Indiana, and marked the beginning of each summer by planting flowers in her flower boxes.
In her later years, she shared her life with her dear friend, Joe Battaglia, who passed away just ten days before she did. They shared many interests. Both put their families first, loved the Cubs, participated in politics, and fled to Florida to escape the Chicago winters.
Debby was an extroverted extrovert. She maintained and nurtured friendships from her childhood, college years at the University of Illinois, child-rearing years in Decatur, Illinois, and her time back in Chicago working at Neiman Marcus, Houghton Mifflin, and subbing and assisting in elementary classrooms. (She particularly adored the kindergarteners and continued teaching into her eighties.)
Debby was preceded in death by her parents, Irv and Tillie Danoff. She is survived by her children, Jodi (David) Edmonson and Michael (Lisa) Melnik; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister and brother-in-law, Jan Schakowsky and Bob Creamer, and her beloved chosen family members.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Rochester, MN, on June 27th, 2026, the day before her birthday. She loved life and enjoyed a good party. We shall celebrate a life well-lived as we break bread and share stories.
Debby was an extraordinary mother, sister, cousin, aunt, grandmother, and friend. She loved deeply and genuinely and opened her heart and her home to all. Memorial donations may be made to Family Promise Rochester (fprochestermn.org), a local organization that supports families experiencing homelessness, or a humanitarian organization of your choice.
