Florence Holzman

An extraordinary life of love… devotion to faith, family, and friends

Florence Adeline Marie Holzman (Flossie), age 101, passed away on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 in Houston, Texas. She was born at home on December 15th, 1921 in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of New York City. Her parents were John and Anna (nee Teres) Tokach. Her birth was registered belatedly as December 17th, a discovery which she playfully utilized to celebrate two birthdays each year.

Growing up in New York City was an exciting and rich experience which undoubtedly informed her whole life with a powerful sense of independence, keen social skills, a lifetime of curiosity for travel (40+ countries), meeting people, and experiencing novel places. In 1938 she was a graduate of Manhattan’s Cathedral High School. After high school she worked for several financial firms in Lower Manhattan.

In 1934, early in her life journey, Florence met a local neighborhood boy, Ralph Holzman. It set the stage for the many high points of Florence’s life. They were married on July 18th, 1942. Her life was focused on raising and educating her six children… guiding and supporting each of them to every possible opportunity at hand. To that end she was a constant community volunteer for school activities as a 4-H Club Leader, a Scout Leader, a Sunday School teacher, and book club organizer. As her own children became adults and started families, she turned her energy and skills to nurturing and enjoying her numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Perhaps her most cherished volunteer contributions were decades of service to the congregations of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Barrington, Illinois, and St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Sebastian, Florida, where she was a founding member.

Throughout her life her home was a beacon for family and friends where the guest rooms were often filled with relatives, exchange students, and a parade of her children’s friends, all who were quickly anointed as part of the family. She never wavered in providing her opinion, amidst dry wit, to nurture and guide all of us until her last day. Most importantly she maintained an unwavering faith in God to guide her own journey.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph E. Holzman in 1988; sister, Mildred Farrell in 2021; daughter, Linda Herrman in 2015; grandchild, David Moore in 2022; and great-grandchild, Aeva Mae Schwammlein in 2015.

Florence is survived by her brother; John Tokach, of San Diego, California; her daughters: Carol (Ted) Moore, of Reno, Nevada; Barbara Holzman, of Bozeman, Montana; Kathy (Dave) Tiehen, of Bigfork, Montana; her sons: Glenn Holzman, of Houston, Texas; Neil (Carol) Holzman, of Birmingham, Alabama, nineteen grandchildren and twenty-four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 901 Clearmont St., Sebastian, FL 32958 or CampCare Nevada Foundation, P.O. Box 12155, Reno, NV 89510-2155.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, November 4th, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 200 Island Ave, Reno, Nevada