Wilmette Obituary: Emma West Katzman, 22

Emma West Katzman, 22, passed away September 11, 2023. An avid ice hockey player, speedskater, and advocate for social justice, she was born in Colorado and spent most of her life in Wilmette, IL.

Emma always lived her life at full throttle. As soon as she decided to do something, she wasted no time working to achieve that goal. Tomorrow was too late for her. Woe to anyone who got in her way or told her she would never succeed. She knew she would — and most times she was right.

She was joyful and loved life. She was full of exuberance and enthusiasm, and if you were around her, these qualities rubbed off on you. Success became easier when Emma was around. And you had more fun.

Emma also had a big heart. She was one of the kindest and most compassionate people you could meet. She was friendly to everyone and regularly offered compliments to strangers, telling them she liked their shoes, their dress, their tattoo. But she went beyond kind. She tried to be helpful to everyone, but especially those in a tough situation or those in difficult life circumstances. Her goal in life was to help people and she wasn’t afraid to tackle big challenges. She often talked about the terrible hunger so many have to face, in our own country and elsewhere. She wanted to relieve some of that suffering and pain.

She was a crusader for justice and fairness. You couldn’t treat someone badly without hearing from Emma. On many occasions, she stood up for someone being bullied or let someone know that racial epithets weren’t tolerated.

She started playing ice hockey when she was 8 years old and developed into an accomplished player for the Wilmette team, the Chicago Young Americans, Selects Hockey, and the University of Vermont. She was selected for the USA Hockey’s National Camp three times.

During her semester abroad in Amsterdam, she discovered speedskating. Returning to the US, she began to train at the Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City.

She is survived by her parents, Anne West and Ed Katzman, currently of Beaufort, SC, and her older brother, Jackson Katzman, currently of Cedar Falls, IA.

Contributions in her memory can be made to the summer camp she loved: Camp Onaway Trust, Emma West Katzman Memorial Scholarship Fund, PO Box 339, Glenside, PA 19038. Funds will be used to provide the camp experience to a girl who otherwise could not afford to attend.

This obituary was provided by the Katzman family. The views expressed here are the author's own. Obituaries can be submitted online to a Patch on Chicago's North Shore for complimentary publication.