Elsie Marie Freihofer Leikauf Prince

Prince, Elsie Marie Freihofer Leikauf, 91, of Sunrise, FL, died peacefully on May 14, 2012, at Westchester Assisted Living Facility where she resided following Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Born in Philadelphia on June 15, 1920, she was the granddaughter of William J. Freihofer, founder of the Freihofer Baking Company of Philadelphia and grandniece of Charles Freihofer, founder of the Freihofer Baking Company of Troy, NY. Elsie is survived by four children, Nancy J. Leikauf (Steve Bousquet) of Tallahassee; Charlie Leikauf (Kathy Joyner Davis) of Ft. Lauderdale; Leslie Leikauf Armstrong of Sunrise and William Freihofer Prince (Cristiane S. Mello, fiancee) of Sunrise; eight grandchildren, Stephen Charles Bousquet Jr., Christopher William Bousquet, Rachel Davis Goodman (David), Miles Adam Davis, Charles Freihofer Leikauf, Cutter Hugh Leikauf, Ainsley Elaine Freihofer Armstrong and Ian William Freihofer Armstrong; and six great grandchildren: Perry, Daisy, Calvin, Elijah, Rudyard, and Hollas Goodman. Elsie was predeceased by her parents, Charles Albert Freihofer and Elsie Torr and by siblings and spouses: William Freihofer (Adelaide), Charles Albert "Bud" Freihofer (Betty), and her twin sister June Louise Freihofer Meredith. Nieces and nephews are Jill Freihofer Brunner (Kevin), John J. Freihofer, Joanie Freihofer, Louise B. Meredith, George Meredith (Robyn); Sara (Sally) J. Meredith Nortrup (Jim) and predeceased by nieces and nephews Lynn Freihofer Hill, Barbara Freihofer, and William W. Freihofer. Elsie graduated from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, PA in 1938 and from Edgewood Park Junior College for Young Women in Briarcliff Manor, NY. She worked five years for the War Department Quartermaster Corps in Binghamton, NY. With great determination and an independent spirit, she moved with her children to Ft. Lauderdale in November 1956 from Montclair, NJ. She was one of the early residents of Melrose Park, "way out west" of Ft. Lauderdale. As a member of the Melrose Park Plaza Club, a pool and tennis club, she honed her love of duplicate bridge and became founder and director of "The Bridge Room" on Broward Boulevard. An avid duplicate bridge player at the Ft. Lauderdale Bridge Club for many years, a Certified American Contract Bridge League Director and Life Master, Elsie directed bridge on cruise ships and at major bridge tournaments in South Florida including at the Galt Ocean Mile and Fontainebleau hotels. She directed bridge games at Woodlands Country Club in Tamarac. Elsie started a second career with the Broward County School Board in 1969 and retired in 2000 after 31 years at age 80. For many years, she designed and compiled in-house publications helping teachers with re-certification. She was one of the first users and masters of a Macintosh for its graphic design capabilities. She truly enjoyed desktop publishing before it was called that and believed it kept her mind young. She won many awards for creativity, design, and work ethic, including Non-Instructional Person of the Year. Her passion for art included painting oil and pastel portraits, porcelain china and floral designs on clothing, and she enjoyed searching for antiques, unique furniture and collectibles. She would find a piece of mahogany furniture that needed "some" work and work at it she did until it was restored to like-new condition. The aroma of turpentine and linseed oil often permeated the house from one of her antiquing projects, which continues her legacy today as furniture in her children's homes. Sharing special events or a lobster and a dry Manhattan with Elsie created a family tradition of gathering for more than 50 years at the Riverside Hotel and at 15th Street Fisheries in Ft. Lauderdale. Elsie always displayed a positive attitude and cheerful disposition regardless of the situation at hand. She was loved by family and friends and will be missed by all who knew her. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at 3:30 p.m., June 10, at First Christian Church, 201 S.E. 13th St., Ft. Lauderdale, 954-523-6456. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Humane Society of Broward County, 2070 Griffin Road, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33312, www.humanebroward.com, American Lung Association, 6852 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL 32216, www.lungfla.org and Hospice of Broward County Foundation, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL, 33407, www.hobcf.org.