Shirlee Ostroff's Obituary
Shirlee Ostroff, 94 years old, of Miami Beach died on Friday, January 12th, asleep in her home. While many of today's Beach residents may not know her name, Shirlee was a cornerstone in the construction of the image of the Miami Beach we know today. Shirlee, working under Ben Novak who had recently completed the Fontainebleau Hotel, worked to bring people from all over the world to come and appreciate this sun-soaked sliver of land. As Convention Reservations Manager, Shirlee helped build the hotel into the icon it still stands as today--bringing tourists, businesses and their dollars to the Beach she loved. Shirlee's contributions to this city are both great and numerous, though she would never admit she did anything of consequence. She worked tirelessly to save what was then The New Amsterdam Hotel from the wrecking ball and to this day an historic piece of Art Deco still sits on Ocean Drive. After 25 years at the Fontainebleau Hotel, Shirlee moved on to join the Everglades Hotel where she worked as General Manager until she was 75 years old. Like the iconic hotels she loved and worked for, Shirlee was always exceptionally turned out, dressed to perfection and expertly made up: blond and beautiful; never leaving the house without lipstick and heels. Throughout her life Shirlee was known for her beauty, her kindness, her sense of humor, her generosity of spirit, and her love of the Beach. Shirlee Ostroff is survived by, and was loved deeply by, her two sons Richard and Marvin; her grandsons Bennett and Scott; her long loving friend Verna Harris; as well as her best friends of 55 years Barbara Cesare and Lenore Toby Simmons; and of course, her beloved cat Gigi. A service for Shirlee Ostroff will be held Friday, January 18 at 2pm at Levitt Weinstein Chapel, 18840 W. Dixie Highway,North Miami Beach, Florida 33180 (305) 932-2700
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