Edward L. Sarnoff

Edward Lewis Sarnoff (July 21, 1920 – April 24, 2015) was born in Detroit, Michigan, His family, parents, Sam and Rose and his older brothers, Irving and William, moved to Los Angeles when Ed was six months old. He grew up in Boyle Heights and graduated from Roosevelt High School. Known as Pee Wee in his youth, he had a great love for the game of baseball and coached his son, Cary and later his grandsons, Jason and Matthew, in Little League.
Ed lived his adult life in an exemplary manner. He married his life partner and best friend, Ethel Borenstein, in 1941 and together they exemplified for us all how to balance a successful marriage and business. Ed proudly served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. Upon returning he worked nights as a Deputy Sheriff while attending court reporting school. After graduating, he opened a court reporting agency in Los Angeles, Sarnoff Court Reporters, and over the years he and Ethel grew the business into one of the larger court reporting agencies in California.
Truly a self-made man Ed Sarnoff acted upon his belief that we are our brothers' keeper and generously shared his time and resources with others. He was very proud to have provided his court reporters the opportunity to participate in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s when he sent a number of his reporters to Alabama to create a record of newly registered voters. Sarnoff Court Reporters was also the first reporting agency to break the color barrier in Los Angeles when Ed hired an African American female reporter.
Ed was president of the Medical Center Aides auxiliary supporting the City of Hope and he and Ethel made generous contributions to that and other organizations. He and Ethel together with their daughter, Danleigh and their son, Cary and 34 other families along with Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin were the founders of Stephen S. Wise Temple in 1962. The Sarnoffs were very active in supporting the temple and remained lifetime members.
Ed and Ethel traveled the world and passed their love of travel to the next generations. Toward the end of his life he felt very satisfied with how he had lived his life and was especially proud of his family. Predeceased by Ethel, his beloved wife of 68 years, and his two brothers, he is survived by his two children: Danleigh Spievak and Cary Sarnoff (Michelle); four grandchildren: Matthew Spievak (Chris), Jason Spievak (Lynette); Marisa Sarnoff, and David Sarnoff (Raven); six great-grandchildren: Ben, Jake, Sophie, Grace, Chloe Spievak and Aubrey Claire Sarnoff.
Special thank you to Lolita Verasoza who has been with the family for more than ten years being an incredible care giver first to Ethel and then Ed after Ethel's passing. All our lives have been made so much better because of the presence of this very special woman.
Ed Sarnoff lived a good and loving life, and he will be greatly missed by his family, dear friends and so many people that he worked with over the years in the Los Angeles legal community.
Burial services will be held at Hillside Memorial in Culver City on Sunday, May 3rd at 11:00 A.M.