Elinor Wilkov

October 18, 2021

Elinor Amy Wilkov of Gainesville passed away on Monday, October 18 at the age of 88, after a long and full life. Endlessly interested in people’s stories, Ellie maintained the fighting spirit of her native Brooklyn throughout her life. An avid reader and lifelong learner, she had multiple careers and never hesitated to follow her passion. She was devoted to her seven grandchildren and actively engaged in each of their lives, following their youth sports teams and college alma maters with equal fervor. Ellie worked as a public defender into her 70’s, relishing the intellectual challenge of complex cases and the camaraderie of first the Broward County and then the Gainesville legal communities. After teaching Spanish and working in real estate, she came late to the law, earning her JD after raising three daughters. A staunch advocate for education, she previously served on the Board of Trustees of Broward Community College. To her, strangers were simply new friends, and she engaged with people from all walks of life, learning their stories and sharing her own. She had a lifelong partnership with her husband, Larry Wilkov. Over 59 years of marriage, they were a model of commitment, dedication and equality in an era long before that was common. She is predeceased by her husband and her beloved son-in-law, Benjamin Rosenblat. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Jane Wilkov and Bruce Winston of Atlanta, Nancy Wilkov and Paul Silverman of Gainesville, and Beth Rosenblat of Gainesville, as well as her seven grandchildren and their spouses, Joshua Rosenblat, Rebecca Rosenblat, Andrew, Allison and Jonathan Winston, Melissa Silverman and Fredo Vasquez, Amy and Craig Mistarz, and her great-granddaughter, Audrey Wilkov Mistarz. The family wishes to thank all the staff at Oak Hammock Health Pavilion for their extraordinary care and support, with special thanks to Tracee, Courtney, Jesus, Mary, Pattie, and Dexter. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored by support for the Elinor Wilkov Scholarship at Broward College. Her daughters created this fund to honor Ellie’s work as an attorney and community activist. In establishing the scholarship, they noted that she truly believed in the phrase "I can make it" and that their hope for the scholarship was to help those who might not otherwise be able to access a college education have the opportunity to "make it.” To contribute to this effort, please visit giving.broward.edu/donate and indicate the Elinor Wilkov Scholarship.