40 | MARCH 18 • 2021 

O

n March 6, 2021, 
my aunt, Flo 
Rappaport, died in 
Las Vegas, Nev. She was the 
coolest — the person who 
inspired me to have jazz on 
the stereo before breakfast.
Flo Rappaport was an 
iconoclast. An entrepreneur 
in the 1960s, she launched 
Ferguson’s, the famed cloth-
ing boutique on Livernois, 
Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion. 
Her shop became the “go-
to” for what she coined as 
“sportswear.” Women from 
everywhere would travel 
to Ferguson’s to purchase 
matching sets of hand-dyed 
Italian cashmere sweaters 
and skirts. 
“Flo was a trendsetter 
personified,” said Carol 
Branston, a film producer 
and hair stylist, formerly of 
Farmington Hills, now living 
in Florida. “She was truly an 
icon.” 
Florence also partnered 
with her sister Ida Goldman 
to open the popular teen 
boutique the Pickwick 
Shoppe. Flo designed all the 
fashions in the windows and 
created the style the young 
girls all wanted for their bat 
mitzvah and confirmation 
parties. 
“I still remember the year 
everything was shades of 

pink and mauve plaid,” said 
Huntington Woods jewelry 
designer Marcy Feldman. “I 
was in seventh grade. That 
was the place to shop! I got 
everything there.” 
Sisters Flo and Ida opened 
more stores in Southfield 
and Birmingham. 
Flo was always an advo-
cate for equality. She had 
friends of all ages, genders 
and had the mindset never 
ever to see differences in 
anyone. She loved jazz and 
became friends with a young 
Johnny Mathis before he was 
famous. Tony Bennett was a 
close pal, too. She has photos 
with both Tony and Johnny, 
and her photos are not sel-
fies! 
The library in her 1960s 
Detroit home featured her 
early love of black-and-white 
portraiture. She was always 
an animal advocate and 
adopted her beloved pets and 
encouraged family members 
to adopt, too.
It is rare for women to col-
lect cars, but not for Flo. She 
collected vintage classic cars. 
Her personalized license 
plate on her Rolls Royce was 
FLO BIZ!
She painted her 1963 
Avanti in black-and-white 
paisley to match the decor 
of Ferguson’s. It was the 

ultimate ’60s mod mobile. 
Also in the 1960s, she had 
the courage to pack up her 
kids, her paisley Avanti and 
her biggest supporter, her 
husband, Paul Rappaport, 
and move from Motown to 
90210.
Florence launched 
Ferguson’s on the famed 
Rodeo Drive in Beverly 
Hills, Calif. She later opened 
Ferguson’s in Century City 
and in the Beverly Hilton 
Hotel. For a number of 
years, she commuted with 
stores in both Michigan and 
California. 
YOLO — You Only Live 
Once — is the way she lived 
her life. Flo later moved 
to Las Vegas. She always 
worked hard, she pursued 
every dream and remained 
forever cool. At 93, Flo was 
still cool and going strong, 
wearing her signature lash-
es and meeting pals at the 
gym every day, listening to 

Tony and Johnny and Diana 
Krall and hugging her two 
beloved rescue dogs Rolls 
and Bentley until COVID 
impacted her life and her 
health.
Not fair … but nothing is 
fair with COVID.
Now, she is gone.
Florence “Flo” Rappaport 
is survived with love and 
admiration by her devoted 
daughter, Lisa Rappaport 
Zagha; her loving son-in-law, 
Ron Zagha; her beloved son, 
Richard Rappaport; adored 
grandson, Perry Zagha; 
and her doggies, Rolls and 
Bentley.
She passed away on the 
same day four years later 
as her devoted and beloved 
husband, Paul Rappaport. 
Flo is loved deeply by 
her sister-in-law, Mona 
Rappaport; brother-in-law, 
Marty Rott; and zillions of 
friends. 
Flo has many beloved 
nieces and nephews in the 
Detroit area who will always 
say, “We will remain forever 
cool in celebration of the 
life and legacy of Aunt Flo. 
Everyone needs an Aunt Flo!’”
For those who wish to 
celebrate the life of Flo 
Rappaport, a contribution 
can be made to Community 
Kollel of Greater Las Vegas, 
1755 Village Center, Las 
Vegas, Nevada 89134, lasve-
gaskollel.org. 

Linda Solomon was inducted to the 

Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame for 

her work as a columnist and photo-

journalist. She is the author of The 

Queen Next Door: Aretha Franklin, an 

Intimate Portrait and the founder of 

the charitable organization Pictures 

of Hope.

Linda Solomon remembers her 
aunt, 1960s Detroit fashion 
maven Flo Rappaport.

Everyone Needs 
an Aunt Flo!

LINDA SOLOMON
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Florence
Rappaport

OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

