Dr. Marjorie Fujara was a beloved and trusted partner and key member of the ChicagoCAC family for many years. An early leader in the field of child abuse pediatrics and part of the first group of clinicians who became certified in this brand-new subspeciality, she won awards and accolades throughout her long career. A pediatrician with Stroger Hospital of Cook County and in ChicagoCAC’s medical clinic, she worked at the center since October 2001 and from 2016, served as our medical director until we transitioned our clinic leadership last year.
She is survived by her husband, four children, two brothers, nieces, nephews, and many others who loved her dearly. Her colleagues remember her as a champion of trauma-informed care; their words are below.
“Dr. Fujara was such a positive force for good in the world. I’m most definitely a better person and a better advocate and clinician for having known her. She was so inspiring and I only hope to carry some of her energy forward in the work we continue to do. Thank you, Marjorie, for everything. You were truly a gift.” – Jan Waters, Chief Program Officer, Clinical Services, ChicagoCAC
“The legendary Dr. Marjorie Fujara – an extraordinary, proficient and irreplaceable partner to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Dr Fujara was passionate about the service of keeping children safe and always went above and beyond the call of duty. Dr Fujara practiced the three C’s-Coordination, Cooperation and Collaboration – during her work at Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and left an indelible imprint in the field of Medicine, Human Rights and Child Welfare.” – Carla Jackson, DCFS PSA, MSW, Division of Child Protection, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center
“It was an honor and a privilege to have worked alongside Marjorie. She was an amazing human being, a brilliant physician, and a tireless champion for children. Marjorie was forever advocating, supporting, teaching, and inspiring us all. She went above and beyond in everything she did and she approached every interaction with humility and grace. I will miss her leadership, vision, energy, compassion, warmth, and most of all, her friendship. Her legacy will live on through all the lives she touched and her contributions will be felt for generations.” -Rhiannon Reaves, Director of Clinical Services, ChicagoCAC
“Marjorie was a delightful person to have as a colleague. We did many trainings together across the city for medical providers, law enforcement, and youth serving agency staff. She was able to discuss the extremely sensitive topic of child sexual abuse medical exams in a way that left audiences empowered to do good work and speak up for the most vulnerable. In her way of approaching children, I looked up to her at work, but more than that, I believe I am a better parent because of the time I spent with her. She will be very missed and I’m so honored I was able to learn from her at ChicagoCAC.” -Julia Strehlow, Director of Education, Prevention, & Policy, ChicagoCAC
“Marjorie managed to be both strong and kind, persistent and forgiving, thoughtful and insistent… all at once. She modeled how we should approach our collaboration and work to protect children, and she was always looking for innovative and creative ways to ensure all children got the services they deserve. Marjorie was an expert, a leader, a friend, a mentor, a role model… we should all strive to “be like Marjorie.”-Char Rivette, Executive Director, ChicagoCAC
