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