14 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023
continued from page 12
OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY
and numerous honors, her
greatest joy was her family.
She embraced every member
of her large, blended family,
regardless of origin. She
knew everything about every
child, grandchild and great-
grandchild and attended
every milestone event.
“She made sure every
family member knew how
much she loved them;
grandkids, nieces and
nephews,” Aviv said.
Of all the legacies she
passed on, this was the most
important. Throughout
their lives, she and her
sisters, Micki and Sondra,
maintained the close
relationship they developed
as children.
“Her priority was always
her family. I’ve continued that
and made it my priority,” said
daughter, Lisa Lis, a longtime
supporter of numerous
charitable causes in the U.S.
and Israel, along with her
husband, Hannan.
Florine encouraged her
children to go beyond their
perceived limits because she
believed everyone had the
potential to do more. While
she expected a lot, she gave
back more in return.
The most important
things she instilled were
the importance of family,
community and tzedakah
[charity],” said her daughter,
Sheri. “She made a difference
every day of her life, from
saying hello to a stranger to
donating money for a new
hospital wing.”
Florine was a true
fashionista with her own
inimitable style and a laugh
that came straight from her
heart. She was the first to call
family members and friends
on their birthdays, and she
ended every phone call, note
and text with her hallmark,
“Love, love, love.”
She enjoyed hosting
dinners for family, friends
and an ever-changing
assortment of guests, where
she would pass around a
microphone and
have each person
introduce themselves
and answer a random
“get-to-know-you”
question.
Her vacation home
in Omena was her
happy place, a haven
for Florine and the
countless friends
and family members
who joined her every
summer to enjoy the
lake and northern
Michigan tranquility.
Her sudden death
came as a shock
because Florine never
thought about death;
she was too busy
making the most of
every moment of her
incredibly full life.
“She loved life so much and
people so much,” said Lisa.
GIVING BACK TO
THE COMMUNITY
Florine believed strongly in
supporting the organizations
in her community and
elsewhere, especially those
concerned with health and
women’s rights. She served on
numerous boards, including
Children’s Hospital of
Michigan, Detroit Institute
for Children, Business
Leaders of Michigan,
Detroit Regional Chamber,
Henry Ford Health System,
University of Michigan
Cardiovascular Center,
Women of Tomorrow, the
Michigan Fitness Foundation,
the Governor’s Council on
Physical Fitness, Health and
Sports and the Weizmann
Institute of Science, among
many others.
She was chair of the
Detroit Branch of the Federal
Reserve Board of Chicago
and an elected member of
the Women’s Leadership
Board at Harvard University’s
John F. Kennedy School
of Government, where she
helped women advance in
national and international
leadership and public policy.
RIGHT: For many years,
Florine did a segment on
WDIV-TV focused on healthy
eating and living.
BELOW: Florine’s book,
written to help women feel
better about themselves.