Elizabeth Fine Ginsburg

Writer, teacher, and social justice advocate, Elizabeth Fine Ginsburg died on November 1, 2022, at her home in Sherman Oaks. She was born on November 10, 1924, in Nashville, where she spent her early years. The family lived in a house built by her grandfather that stands today as home to country music producers. At the outset of the Depression, she moved to Los Angeles, where she and her brother, the late Max Fine (one of the original authors of Medicare legislation), were raised by their single mother, Nellie Fine. Libby, as she was known, grew up in Boyle Heights and was featured in articles on the history of that neighborhood, including the Japanese forced relocation during WWII. She remained in close contact with friends from the neighborhood for her entire life. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in journalism and helped organize an annual scholarship for a female student in honor of Edna Jean White, who established North Gables, a cooperative boarding house. She graduated with an MA from Teachers College Columbia University and met her husband, Martin Ginsburg, at a resort for progressives in the Catskills. Their wedding invitation read-No Greater Union. She stood with the civil rights movement and the Henry Wallace Campaign and joined protests from Vietnam to police brutality. After a long teaching career and a run for the school board, Libby worked for the Retired Teachers Association of Los Angeles, where she was the editor of its newsletter. She was a founder and member of the secular Jewish Kindershule community. Her boundless energy and spirit impacted all those whom she met. She is survived by her three children, Robin, Carl, and Ned, and two grandsons, Alexei and Gregory; daughters-in-law, Helen and Jill; and son-in-law Bruce.