Josh Flagg is honoring the life and legacy of his maternal grandmother, Marjorie Platt, who passed away due to complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) on July 11. She was 98 years old.
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The Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles agent shared the sad news on Instagram in a series of three posts on July 15 after his grandmother was laid to rest in Mount Sinai Memorial Park, whose chapel and administrative buildings are named after her late husband, Herman Platt, as they both helped found and build the Jewish funeral home and mortuary.
"RIP. The Queen has passed. When I was a little boy, I was fortunate enough not only to grow up with amazing parents but also with two sets of incredible, fabulous, and wonderful grandparents," Josh shared on Instagram. "My grandmother Margie Platt passed away this past weekend from COVID-19 at 98 years old. Margie was not only an incredible person but also a true role model."
Josh then opened up about how much his grandmother and grandfather gave back to the community, endowing the Marjorie and Herman Platt Gallery at the American Jewish University in California. They were also key supporters and fundraisers for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the United Jewish Fund, the Jewish Home for the Aging, City of Hope, the UCLA Foundation, Temple of the Arts, and Vista Del Mar. "My grandfather and my grandmother were two of the most philanthropic people I have ever met," Josh wrote.
He also noted how Margie was right by his grandfather's side while he served as president of Sinai Temple, while serving as "Sisterhood Chair and fundraiser extraordinaire" herself, according to her obituary. "As they walked to their seats, everyone came up to Mr. and Mrs. Platt as they truly were respected as one of the founding Jewish families of Los Angeles," Josh recalled of services during the high holy days as a child.
Josh remembered his grandmother exposing him to the works of David Hockney, the furniture of Karl Springer, and the jewelry of David Webb. "There is no question where I got my sense of style from," he said.
In another tribute post on Instagram, Josh likened his grandmother to the character Norma Desmond from the classic Hollywood film Sunset Boulevard. "When you would call her in the morning she would pick up the phone and without even knowing who it was (whether it be a family member, a gardener or a solicitor) she would say, 'Good morning darling isn’t it just divine outside this morning,'" he shared.
Josh also said that his grandmother "truly was the epitome of THE social butterfly," holding back-to-back parties for 100 guests each at her home or spending her days at the country club and nights out at a fabulous restaurant in L.A. where "she would go up to every table and say hello to all her friends."
"This woman lived life more than anyone else I ever met," Josh wrote. "Lox and bagels at Hillcrest and sneaking through her closets at the Wilshire and stealing pieces of Tortoise and Blue and White Vases, which by the way meant she gave me and told me not to tell my mom or aunt."
However, Josh will mostly always remember the love his grandmother gave him and vice versa. "Whenever I told my grandmother I loved her, she would respond with 'I adore you darlingggg, and how much do you love me?' And I would say 'all in the world,'" he wrote in another post. "Sleep tight madam and have fun night in heaven with grandpa."
