Florence Auspitz, 87; Owned Deli In Camden

By S. Joseph Hagenmayer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT

Posted: December 06, 1994

Florence "Faggie" Stern Auspitz, 87, the warm-hearted proprietor of the landmark Famous Delicatessen in Camden where she worked for 40 years, died Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden.

Mrs. Auspitz retired after the deli burned down in 1984. The deli was one of five opened by the Auspitz family in the early 1920s. Born in Philadelphia, she was a longtime Camden resident.

Mrs. Auspitz and her husband, the late Louis Auspitz, became sole owners of the Famous Deli in the early 1950s when the Auspitz brothers split up the business, which included the deli at Fourth and Bainbridge Streets in Philadelphia.

When the stores were founded, they were the lifeblood of the Jewish neighborhoods around them, having everything from blintzes and bagels to barrels of olives, herring and pickles. The Camden store was no exception.

"It was always known for its good food and . . . it was not just a store, it was a friendship," said her son, Jerry Auspitz of Camden. "Attorneys, accountants, blue-collar workers, businessmen, judges and doctors all stopped in. And my mother was just as warm as could be. She and my father fed a lot of people. It was not only a living, but served the community as well."

Before marrying, Mrs. Auspitz had worked in the former Lit Brothers department store in Camden, where she was a frequent winner of the weekly top- salesperson award while working in the glassware department.

Mrs. Auspitz was a member of the Jacob J. Hernfeld Link 26 Order of the Golden Chain for more than 40 years. She was a member of Congregation Beth El in Camden from 1944 to 1969.

Mrs. Auspitz also is survived by many nephews and nieces.

Services were held yesterday at Montefiore Cemetery in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia.

The family had requested that memorial donations be made to the charity of the donor's choice.