Obituary of Florence June Rappaport
Women from everywhere would travel to Flo Rappaport’s store to purchase matching sets of hand-dyed Italian cashmere sweaters and skirts.
On March 6, 2021, Flo Rappaport, died in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Flo Rappaport was an iconoclast. An entrepreneur in the 1960s, she launched Ferguson’s, the famed clothing 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 advocate 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 selfies!
Her 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 collect 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 lashes 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, lasvegaskollel.org.
The funeral will be held 10:40 am on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City, NV. For those who cannot attend, the service will be streamed on Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7119365312?pwd=NVdvRDVOYjZrdGZEZzZ3UEVvZjIrZz09. .Meeting ID: 711 936 5312, Passcode: 123456
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