Sheldon B. Smith

December 8, 1944 - December 27, 2019

Sheldon Smith was born in his beloved Chicago on December 8, 1944 to Molly (Goodman) and David Smith. Sheldon never used his middle name and was known as “Shelly” to his childhood friends, grandchildren and by his loving wife of 25 years, Christine. According to her, GOD must have smiled when Sheldon was born because he had a knack for bringing out the smiles in others! Sheldon graduated from Mather High School (Chicago, IL) in January 1963 and the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1967. He was an epidemiologist for the U.S. Public Health Service before joining the Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Centers. Ltd. in 1971, where he opened 26 educational centers in 11 states and conducted marketing and advertising campaigns to introduce the high school, college and general population to the concept of test preparation. He served as the Coordinator for Kaplan Centers throughout the Midwest and West and had direct oversight of all new centers west of the Mississippi River. He later concentrated on his six educational centers throughout the Chicagoland area and was extremely proud of his singular accomplishment of coordinating and conducting more campus classes at the high school level than any of the other 150 Kaplan Centers nationwide. In 1992, Sheldon established the TestWatch Research Institute Ltd., a not-for-profit corporation, which conducted programs in 36 Chicago area high schools and created a highly successful and innovative approach to test preparation through the development of TestWatch Test Prep (“TWTP”). He authored TWTP’s “Psychological Motivational Program” and developed a highly acclaimed In-Service training program to facilitate Chicago Public School teachers’ awareness of test taking strategies and techniques for various admission testing programs. He worked in this field until his retirement in 2006, when he turned his attention to using his skills for eBay sales of gambling memorabilia! From 2006 until his passing, Sheldon was a well-established dealer of casino collectibles and sold extensively on eBay as “onenevadadollar,” which was a tip of the hat to what was his primary chip collection. In 2008, Sheldon and Christine relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada and his collection, contacts and interests in this field expanded. He not only bought and sold for “Team Smith” (as he liked to call their partnership) but for his growing number of consignors, both national and international. When Sheldon took an interest in something, he worked to achieve not only competence but mastery! Sheldon was a man who was curious about life, was always learning and encouraging others to do the same. He was an avid, eclectic reader who embraced many genres. He was a man of many interests – he loved tennis and running (he ran two Chicago Marathons); being Christine’s most-forgiving partner in their bi-weekly bridge games with friends; playing poker and blackjack (winning or finishing “in the money” in quite a few tournaments along the way); watching “The Big Bang Theory” and PBS! He loved going to Cubs, Bears and Notre Dame games but, in later years, settled for watching them on TV. For years, he traveled with Illinois friends to Cubs Spring Training games in the Cactus League in Arizona and he enjoyed those trips immensely. Sheldon especially loved collecting casino chips and other gambling memorabilia. He loved the chip collecting hobby and was an enthusiastic and patient mentor to chip collectors here and abroad, making friends all around the USA, Europe and Asia. He was a Life Member and a huge supporter of the national Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors’ Club (the CC>CC, d/b/a The Casino Collectibles Association (CCA)) and served four years as its Vice-President, having previously served as its Educational Director and Publicity Director for many years. He also served eight years as the President of the Southern Nevada Casino Collectibles Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Until recently, he also served on the Board of Directors for the Museum of Gaming History and was instrumental in recruiting many of its Advisory Board members from local Las Vegas and Nevada gaming and governmental entities. He was especially interested in the history of casinos, especially those in Nevada and authored many articles that were published in the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles and “Gaming Today.” In all of his endeavors, Sheldon relied on his communication skills, active listening and keeping an open mind for building rapport. He always tried to think of ways to “do” something rather than come up with reasons why they couldn’t be done. He believed in giving each person respect, whether he agreed or disagreed with their position and considered and honored people’s differences. In every instance, he conducted himself in a manner such that each member felt they could contribute to the whole and were important to the organization. Sheldon was committed to diversity, ethical practices and respectful dealing with one another and valued performance over promises, function over form and cooperation over divisiveness. He firmly believed in giving a “voice” to those who didn’t have a voice otherwise and was direct and clear in his pursuit, no matter the venue, of excellence. Sheldon is survived by his wife, Christine (Mandracia Kassak) Smith; three children and seven grandchildren and many other well-loved family members: Stephen and Brenda (Mobile) Smith (children, Hannah and Matthew Smith); Jennifer (Smith) and Doug Freymark (children, Will and Lane Freymark); and Jeff Kassak (children, Kory, Derek and Shanna Kassak). Sheldon is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Irwin and Shirley (Rosenthal) Smith and nephews and nieces, Jason and Lisa Smith (children, Grant, Miles and Nolan Smith) and Todd Smith (ex-wife, Melissa and children, Braydon and Trevor Smith); brother Edward Mandracia and nieces (Jennifer and Candace Mandracia) Also included in Sheldon’s family are Susan (Levinson) Smith and Denise (Southern Kassak) and Jarrod Walker (daughter, Lyndsey Walker) who remained part of his “heart-family” despite divorces and remarriage! Sheldon had a well-blended family because he had enough love to spread around both inside and outside traditional familial bonds. Sheldon was a loving and hands-on grandfather who showered all of his family with love, affection, humor, support and encouragement. He reveled in their many accomplishments and activities from their first steps to first dates; first cars, first loves and first honors; from all levels of school sports team participation to youth swim meets; to high school and college graduations; to first offices, first promotions and first businesses to first bets at casino table games! He sat on many bleachers, concert chairs, lawn chairs and sports stadiums, in all kinds of conditions and weather. He drove for hours or flew across states to watch his children and grandchildren (the “kids”) participate in and enjoy their activities. He was the proudest father and grandfather in the world! Although Sheldon called Christine the “cheerleader,” Sheldon was the “team captain!” He offered advice, direction and correction with fairness and kindness and always with an accepting, loving manner. Although he liked to call himself “MR. NO,” the “kids” (and his friends) knew him as the “go to guy” who was always ready to help and more than able to give sound advice, when asked. He changed diapers, replaced toilets, hung pictures, soothed hurt feelings with great care and gave great rubs, had an enormous smile and twinkly eyes that lit up when one of his “kids” walked into the room, emailed him, texted him or called him on the phone. They were the loves of his life and he counted them all as his biggest and best blessings! Sheldon will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He wanted to live forever here on earth because he loved life so much; but he will always be alive not only in Heaven but in our hearts and in our minds, where we will hear his voice in times of both trouble and joy! GOD BLESS SHELDON SMITH! He made the world better by being in it and those he leaves behind thank GOD for him! A visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until time of services at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, 120 W. Park Ave. (Rt. 176, one block west of Milwaukee Ave.) in Libertyville. For info: 847-362-3009 or share a memory at www.burnettdane.com.