Sylvia Weisz

November 24, 1911 - December 22, 2013 Sylvia passed away peacefully on Sunday after a long and wonderful life. She was surrounded by her family. Born in 1911 in Los Angeles to Adele and Julius Liffman, Sylvia was the eldest of three daughters. She attended Berendo Jr. High, Hollywood High School and UCLA, where she was a proud member of Alpha Epsilon Phi. She married her beloved David in 1934, gave birth to two daughters and together they shared 47 glorious years until his death in 1981. Her life of activism began early, with the war years bringing a victory garden and the vigorous selling of war bonds and then Bonds For Israel. It wasn't long before David and Sylvia's concern for the world around them led to a life of commitment to philanthropy and community service. For Sylvia, it was Hadassah and what was then the United Jewish Welfare Fund. She served as chair of the Women's Campaign in 1957, knowing how important it was for women's voices to be heard. Together, the Weisz's established a long list of charitable endeavors, including generous support of Cedars-Sinai, Children's Hospital, Temple Israel, UCLA, Vista Del Mar, Jewish Home for the Aging, The Discovery Fund, Jewish Free Loan Association, L.A.County Museum, The Music Center, the new Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, and more. In recent years, Sylvia made a Premier Philanthropy Gift to the Jewish Federation to establish the Sylvia Weisz Women's Campaign. She always believed that when you have been blessed, as she was, it was her responsibility to give back to the community. Sylvia was an avid reader, formidable card and bridge player, and accomplished crossword puzzle solver. A lifelong Democrat, she cared deeply about injustices in the world, and spoke passionately about causes close to her heart. In her private moments, she loved buying houses and decorating them. But what she probably loved most was giving parties - parties for causes, parties for fun. Her hospitality was unsurpassed. Always beautifully dressed and coiffed, a great dancer, she was the belle of the ball. The Weisz house in Newport Beach was a magnet for family and friends, as was Elm Drive and the grand home on Sunset Blvd. She was spirited, brutally honest, and generous to a fault. At 102, she still maintained her elegance, dignity, and a sharp sense of humor - an inspiration to her large and loving family, and to the friends and admirers who surrounded her. Her beauty blossomed as she aged, as did her warmth and gratitude for friends, family, and the charmed life she had led. Until the very end, she was still capable of one-liners - and planning just one more dinner party. Her adoring family will miss and treasure her forever, as they try to live up to the giant legacy she created. She cherished each and every one of them. Sylvia is survived by her loving daughters, Cathrine Ireland and Judy Carroll; her grandchildren Jennifer (Marcel) Wilson, Jeremy (Marcy) Ireland, John (Lexy) Carroll, and Carey Appel (Tracy) Albert; her great-grandchildren Alex, Whitney and Melanie Carroll, Katie and Erin Pearlman, Zoe and Lena Wilson; her sister-in-law Leona Miller, "adopted" son Jay Grodin, and her nephews and nieces Susan and Eddie, David and Jeffrey, Dodie and Peter, and Karen and Jimmy. She is pre-deceased by her beloved sisters Inez Lieberman and Frieda Meltzer. "She loved us more." We loved her most. Services will be held on Thursday, December 26th, at 3:00 P.M. at Hillside Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer a donation to the charity of your choice.