Ilene was my oldest friend, literally from birth. When I was born her family lived in the next building to ours in the Bronx, then they moved into our building, two flights above us. 

We went to the same elementary and junior high schools & spent endless hours together. We often communicated by banging on the steam pipe that ran through our apartments  (this was the pre-internet/cellphone era). 

We shared visits to museums & plays, bike riding, watching tv, sometimes acting out plays on a tape recorder ... vividly recall doing "Sorry, Wrong Number" with her. Very dramatic!

I wasn't aware of the seriousness of her medical condition  and am absolutely shattered by her loss. Ilene was the sister I never had. She will be forever in my heart. 

Ilene and I met in the Bronx when we were 12 years old. We’ve been best friends for 56 years .
We were able to read each other’s minds and could finish each other’s  sentences. That’s what best friends do. 
Not only were we close but our husbands are like brothers and her family is an extension of mine and visa versa. My son grew up at the Restler household .
We went on vacations together, celebrated birthdays, graduations and also holidays together.  We were also there for each other at sad  times as well.
One special memory was on a  vacation to Philadelphia with our families. We always spoke about it years later. Ilene and her family checked out of the hotel,
but  because the weather was bad her kids were too scared to fly home.  When my husband, son and I arrived back at our  room all of their luggage was there. I don’t know how Ilene did it but without telling me she persuaded the hotel manager to put their belongings in our room . We all flew home together the next day. That was Ilene!!
Ilene always put her family first. She was an amazing and loyal best friend. I was always able to count on her anytime I needed help with something. 
I’ll always remember our special times together.  Rest In Peace- you will always be in my heart.



Ilene was my BFF sister from another mister…. Friends  for nearly 40 years. We could share every deep or crazy thought and “get it”. 
We shared so many adventures… Tuesday was “our day” after my mom passed in 2010….I was Hoda and she  was  Kathy Lee… we even got to meet the real Hoda and Kathy Lee and get a backstage tour on a specially arranged trip to NY..
We met when Arlen and my daughter  Robyn started preschool at the JCC… she was carrying her newborn Allison.. I was very pregnant with my second child Brooke. We would drop the kids at school and she and I would go waste a few hours at the Broward mall having our usual coffee  and muffin at My Favorite Muffin and shopping the sale racks at Burdines. 
We always took the kids to lunch after picking them up … Arlen was Robyn’s first boyfriend. 
The Restler’s moved to Coral Springs and we followed thereafter. Allison and Brooke were besties. Ilene went on to have two more beautiful daughters.. Ellie and Kylie. My favorite family memory was the trip the Restler‘s and Gartner‘s did to California along with their nanny Julia.
Ilene was caring, had the funniest sense of humor, and hated show offs . 
She was always the diplomat knowing exactly what to say. She was so creative , decorating her house for every holiday…
She loved planning parties . She easily could have been a party planner..,
Ilene loved her family more than anything..  in the end she got to see Ellie and Allison married to two great guys and a grandson on the way.  I know she is looking down in all of us and us at peace.

OBITUARY

Ilene Sharon Restler

December 11, 1952 – September 6, 2021

Star of David Memorial Gardens Cemetery & Funeral Chapel

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