Highland Park Parade: Funeral Service for Jacquelyn Sundheim, Stephen Straus, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, to be held on Friday

Family and friends are gathering together to honor Jacquelyn Sundheim, Stephen Straus and Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza.

“You know what I feel? Grief. Grief for all of us, grief for highland park, America,” Lynn Weitz said.

Service for Jacquelyn Lovi Sundheim, 63, begins at 11 a.m. at North Shore Congregation Israel, 1185 Sheridan Road in Glencoe.

“Today, we will grieve together. But we will also be grateful for sharing Jacki’s life with her,” said Wendi Geffen, senior rabbi at North Shore Israel Congregation. “She loved to have a great time. She gave great hugs. She had a great smile; she was fiercely protective and she was no one’s pushover. “

Sundheim is a former school teacher, as well as a parishioner and dedicated staff member at her synagogue.

Geffen said: “Jacki’s life is not long enough.

Service for Stephen Straus, 88, took place at 12:30 p.m. at the Jewish Regeneration Church, located at 303 Dodge Ave. in Evanston.

“I mean he’s an incredibly sweet and kind person. Always curious about what you’re doing and just loves sharing who you are and what you’ve done,” his son Jonathan Straus said. . “Every time you see him, no matter what’s going on in his day, he always has this warm smile on his face, always greets you warmly, and is always really, really to the core. His core is a sweet, generous person.”

Straus was a beloved grandfather. His family says he can often be found enjoying the Art Institute. He loves life and is active, going to Metra center to work or cycle.

His family said he always took care of others first.

Jonathan Straus said he knows his dad has had a few more good years still on him.

The funeral of Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, will take place from 5-8pm at Iglesia Emanuel, located at 1300 W.10 St. in Waukegan.

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Toledo-Zaragoza is retired and lives in Mexico. He was in the area visiting family when he was killed.

He was sitting in a wheelchair between his son and grandson when he was shot multiple times.

His son and a family friend were also shot, but survived.

Toledo-Zaragoza’s body will be brought back to his hometown in Mexico for a final rest.

He left his children, grandchildren and family many close friends.

One of them was a woman who worked at Starbucks Highland Park, who said she came to support her friends, who are Toledo’s grandchildren.

This was the second funeral for victim Jaleeza Moncivaiz to attend, and said, although she did not march with her daughters as planned, she knew three people had been shot dead.

Moncivaiz says her journey to support victims, which includes Starbucks giving coffee to the Toledo-Zaragoza family, is just one small effort she wants to offer.

“It was really a very traumatic and thoughtless experience,” she said. “It’s not easy to get over what we’ve been through and continue to give back to the community. That’s what keeps me going.”

Alan Castillo was with Toledo-Zaragoza at the parade. He was shot in the back when gunfire broke out.

“I fell to the floor. I was like, ‘I got hit, I got hit.” That’s what I scolded my girlfriend for,” Castillo said. “I feel very lucky and unlucky to have to go through this.”

Meanwhile, memorials continue to grow near the scene of the shooting as communities come together to help each other heal.

A large crowd gathered on Thursday night for a moving candlelight vigil in Sunset Park.

“This is a different kind of grief; it’s a painful grief that most people never go through,” said Linda Davis, who witnessed Monday’s shooting.

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“It is heartbreaking to see my community go through this pain,” said Jordana Hozman, vigil co-host and member of the North Shore March for our Lives.

Residents shared stories of being at the parade when gunfire rang out on July 4th and running for their lives.

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Highland Park residents and businesses are trying to rally together and support each other as much as possible.