July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Remembering Femma Mahdessian, 1933-2020

On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, Femma Mahdessian, 86, passed away at her home in Santa Monica, CA, with her loving daughter, Y Fray, at her side, after a two year battle with lung cancer.

From her birth on October 30, 1933 in Amsterdam, to her death, she touched everyone who knew her with her fortitude, beauty, and character. Femma, along with her parents, Solomon and Yette (Van de kar) Slap, endured the horrors of the Holocaust, and were survivors of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. After liberation, the family welcomed the birth of Femma’s sister, Rhea (Cannon) Slap. The family immigrated to South America, living briefly in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, before settling in Los Angeles in 1954. On the ship from Buenos Aires, Femma met her first husband, Max Fray, and they were married in Los Angeles, in 1956. Together they had one daughter, Y Fray. Femma’s astounding beauty was the reason she met her 2nd husband, anesthesiologist, Dr. Haig Mahdessian, while working at a department store in Los Angeles. He saw her working behind the cosmetics counter, and for him, it was literally love-at-first-sight. They had one daughter, Debbie Mahdessian. Femma and Haig loved to play nightly games of Scrabble with each other, and were both so competitive, that it led to a divorce. Love ultimately trumped competition, and the two remarried each other and remained together until Haig’s death in 2006.

Femma had two great passions which complemented each other, her Welsh Terrier, Pickles, and hiking. Whether leading hikes for the local chapter of The Sierra Club, backpacking in Yosemite or spending summers trekking the Swiss Alps, Femma never met a trail she couldn’t conquer. When Femma could no longer hike, due to her illness, she took great joy in making sure that Pickles was able to still enjoy hiking, and arranged for Pickles to be part of a group dog hike multiple times a week. Pickles’ untimely passing in the fall of 2019 devastated Femma, and delivered a blow to her unflappable strength that she was unable to overcome. After Haig’s passing in 2006, Femma discovered another passion and talent, writing. She enrolled in courses at Emeritus College in Santa Monica. Her stories are a personal, touching glimpse into her life and experiences during and after the Holocaust. In her writings, the beauty of her post-war life was often juxtaposed with an experience during the war, and somehow, she was able to acknowledge the gifts in each. Her stories have been published in “The Pen & Brush” and are also going to be delivered to the Bergen-Belsen Museum.

Femma is survived not only by her sister and daughters, but by five grandsons (Sam, Henry, Theo, Oliver & Simon Catanzaro), her son-in-law, Theodore Catanzaro, and her cousin, Eddy Slap. Her vitality and originality will be missed not only by them, but by her friends and all of those who knew her.

Per Femma’s wishes, there will be no formal funeral services. When the current situation with quarantine and social distancing lifts family, friends, and others whose lives Femma touched, will all be invited to Will Rogers Park, where she spent so many wonderful times, to honor, reminisce, and celebrate the indomitable person that she was.

In this time of the COVID pandemic, in lieu of any donations, the family asks that everyone take care of themselves and each other.

<>Related Posts

Proposed Rebuilding Authority for Wildfire Recovery Sparks Local Control Debate

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Plan Aims to Streamline Rebuilding but Raises Questions Over Community Input A proposed “Resilient Rebuilding Authority” to oversee recovery from...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150 National Guard...

(Video) ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Champion Pulls Big Blue Bus for 30 feet

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

World-class strongman Martins Licis pulled a 34,680‑pound, 35-feet long, battery electric bus through the Pier to set off Pier 360...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

More Commercial Uses Could Be Coming to RAND Building

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Amendment Unlocks New Opportunities, Secures $5.5 Million in Community Benefits The Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to...

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...