Florence Elfant

Longtime Palisadian Florence “Flo” Elfant (91) passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 12.

Flo was born and raised in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park, New York. It was here that she met her late husband, Allan, at the age of 14.

Their love story began when they worked at a resort in the Catskills Mountains, with Flo as a summer bookkeeper and Allan as a waiter. Their shared passion for the arts led them to perform in a staff show every Tuesday night.

They married in 1953, and Flo supported her husband through Brooklyn College and then the New York College of Podiatry. The Elfants moved west in 1956.

Two years later they moved to Pacific Palisades. They raised their three children, Debbie, Noel and Jeanne, on Jacon Way, where their two daughters were married in the backyard.

Flo impacted the real estate industry, managing several offices in the Palisades, while Allan practiced podiatry at 910 Via De La Paz. Flo was active in the Parent Teacher and Student Association as Marquez PTA president in the 1970s.

She was recognized for her dedication and expertise when she was honored as a Golden Spark Plug in 1985. In 1989, she was named Citizen of the Year, sharing the honor with her co-mother-in-law Kit Festa. Flo also served as the Parade Marshal at the Palisades 4th of July Parade, a role she fulfilled with pride in 1989 and 2011.

Flo and Allan were active members of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and the Pacific Palisades Optimists Club. She was a founding member of Pacific Palisades Community Council and chairman of the Disaster Preparedness Committee.

Even after losing her beloved husband in 1992, Flo’s dedication to service and her vibrant spirit continued to shine, inspiring all who knew her. She volunteered at Palisades Branch Library, reading to children for over five years.

Flo could always be found with friends and family around town at restaurants, the theater and all community events. Her dedication to the Palisades and those who call it home helped shape her life in almost everything she did.

Flo’s spirit lives on in her children, Debra (Bob) Feinberg, Noel (Susan) Elfant and Jeanne (Rich) Festa, and her grandchildren, their spouses and great-grandchildren: Alana and Sam, Molly, Jordan, and Dylan Levitt, Jonathan and Sara Abarbanel, Joanna, and Isaac Feinberg, Daniela and Jonathan Pollare, Rachel Elfant and Ariel Campagne, Tony Festa, Nathaniel Elfant, and Griffin Elfant.

Donations in Flo’s memory may be made to the City of Hope and Kehillat Israel. A Celebration of Life will be held at Kehillat Israel on June 30. Please reach out to the family for more information.