Florence W. Harris

On May 6, 2020, Florence Warshawsky Harris passed away at the age of 83. While she was battling additional health issues, her death was hastened by complications related to COVID-19. A native New Yorker, Florence was a longtime resident of Lexington, and before that Boston and Cambridge. She was respected and beloved as an exacting editor, an inspiring community leader, and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, and friend.

She is survived by her daughter, Lynn Harris, her son-in-law, Rabbi David Adelson, her husband of more than 50 years, James Harris, her niece, Hillary Parmelee, and two grandchildren, Bess Adelson and Sam Harris.

Florence’s parents, Chaim and Liba Warshawsky, came to New York from Drobnin, Poland. Her memories of growing up Jewish in New York in the 40s and 50s include attending rallies, arguing politics around a table, singing Zionist songs, and attending the Yiddish Theater on Second Avenue. Her younger cousins remember (and admired) her from family gatherings as the “glamorous, brainy teenager.” She was deeply attached to and influenced by her cousin Regina, her only relative to survive Auschwitz, who found and lived with her family after the war. A regular in standing room at the Metropolitan Opera, Florence attended the High School of Music and Art and entered City College at age 15. She went on to work in academic publishing, serving as editor on Noam Chomsky and Morris Halle’s extremely influential linguistic work The Sound Pattern of English and numerous other important linguistic texts.

She and Jim moved from New York to Boston to Lexington, MA, where Lynn grew up, and—though she initially looked askance at the suburbs—where she became a leader in environmental causes, choral groups, women’s groups, and other community activities, especially at Temple Isaiah. Florence was passionate about and expert in opera, classical music, and Broadway musicals. She knew all the standards and the Lindy Hop. She loved dogs, dreamed of owning goats, and tolerated cats. She was an intrepid traveler, intuitive cook, ruthless copyeditor, and world-class worrier. She was devoted to friends and family in New England, New York, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and around the world, cultivating wide networks of meaningful relationships. Principled and empathetic, she was everyone’s go-to person for true listening, wise advice, and witty limericks honoring friends.

Florence adored her friends, her husband, her daughter and son-in-law, her daughter’s friends, her family, and her grandchildren. She loved to be entertained and impressed by them. She raised and inspired those around her to stand for gender equality, authentic self-expression, and the Oxford comma. Florence will be missed and remembered by so many in so many circles, communities, and countries.

Gifts may be directed to Temple Isaiah (www.templeisaiah.net), 55 Lincoln Street, Lexington, MA 02421.