FELICIA AILENDE, RN

Registered Nurse, Bria of Forest Edge, Chicago, IL

Felicia Ailende was a beacon of unity to her family and members of Maranatha Chapel in Evergreen Park, Illinois, where she was a minister. She counseled many, helping keep marriages intact and lives on track, her son Elijah Ailende said. Though her six children were very different from one another, she saw the best in each. An immigrant from Nigeria, she planted a garden each year and used the produce to cook West African dishes. When there were too many cucumbers, hot peppers or greens, she shared with neighbors. At Bria of Forest Edge, a nursing home, Felicia cooked for residents at times or prayed for them, Elijah said. Administrator Julie Kosman said in a statement that Ailende was a hardworking nurse who was pleasant and funny and had a great rapport with residents.

ARTIST: ISAAC BEN AHARON “I am the kid who followed his mother’s advice and chose medical school over art school. Now, after a long hiatus, I have returned to my first calling. One of the most valuable parts of my daily practice as a radiologist, subspecialized in the diagnosis of breast cancer, is the rare opportunity to get to know people at their most vulnerable time. It is that sense of vulnerability that I try to convey in my artwork. It was only natural that my work as a radiologist led me to figurative art and portraiture: I approach each new piece without any preconceptions and peel off the layers of façade until I reach the soul within.  As a self-taught artist, each work is truly a journey for me rendered in graphite, ink, colored pencils, gauche  or oils.”