Judith Dankanics (née Gelfand), a polyglot who aimed to greet everyone she met in their preferred language, passed away on June 17, 2024. Judith was born to the late Rose (Yolles) and Louis Gelfand on June 18, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Mumford High School (class of ‘62) and received her B.A. in French from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Judith taught French after school but soon moved on to her most beloved career stint as a transcontinental stewardess, or “stew,” for Pan Am Airlines. She told stories of perfectly pressed uniforms, searing steaks in first class, meeting celebrities like Carol Burnett, and visiting a dozen countries on layovers. Judith was based in New York City during this time and developed a deep love for the cultural joys it offered.
After a few years with Pan Am, Judith co-founded The Dollhouse Factory in Lebanon, NJ, which she ran for over thirty years. There, Judith connected with everyone from UPS drivers to customers, fellow small business owners to vendors, and shared humor and humanity with them all. Judith took great pride in memorizing every area code in the U.S.,thanks to receiving phone orders from around the country and the world. She jumped at the chance to learn new languages and maintained French fluency by chaperoning frequent exchange trips to France. Judith’s love for French was surpassed only by her passion for ballet, art, and classical music. She especially enjoyed attending American Ballet Theatre performances in NYC and performing alongside her daughters in New Jersey Ballet’s annual Nutcracker.
Judith moved to Whidbey Island in 2003 and quickly got to know everyone there! She frequently volunteered around Langley, including at the Outcast Productions theater–where Judith made her acting debut in “Enchanted April” at the age of 65. She also enjoyed partner dancing for many years, in styles ranging from West Coast Swing to salsa and waltz. Judith was very close with her daughters–who both live near Seattle–and loved spending time with her two grandchildren and extended family.
“Ama,” as her grandkids called her, drove weekly down toRenton to care for grandchild Liliana.They loved going to the Museum of Flight, where Judith also volunteered at charity events with her Pan Am alumnae “Fly Girls.” Ama and Liliana could often be found parked at the local airport, gazing at planes through the sunroof. Ama shared her great passion for dance and music with her children and grandchildren, and never missed playing “Happy Birthday” on the piano for everyone’s birthday.
Judith had a fierce love of all things red or antique, art deco jewelry, dirty jokes, European travel, supporting US veterans, the show “M*A*S*H*,” the movie “Strictly Ballroom”, Mediterranean food, comfortable shoes, and sharing Yiddish sayings. Judith spoke French, Italian, Hebrew, and a bit of Spanish. She is survived by her brother, Jerry, her daughters, Laura and Eva, and her grandchildren, Liliana and Fyfe.
There will be a grand celebration of life befitting Judith in Langley this fall. Please contact Eva (206-799-8285) or Laura (206-715-7661)for details, and send any donations in her honor to Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation (WAIF) or Outcast Productions.
