The founder of KCET, Shirley Baskin Familien, passed away on October 23, 2022, at the age of 101. According to her family, her children were present when Familien passed away in her Wilshire Boulevard home in Los Angeles. The family of Shirley claims:
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Shirley consistently promoted harmony, compassion, and generosity of spirit among everyone she encountered because she exemplified these traits herself. She had a strong desire and love for life.
Familian’s cause of death is still a mystery. Her medical history has not been made public, and it’s possible that age-related problems had a role in her passing. Donations to the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center or the UCLA Neurosurgery Institute can be made in place of flowers.
For 60 years, Shirley Baskin Familien served on the KCET board
Shirley Baskin and her family moved to Seattle on November 21, 1920. They later relocated to Tacoma, Washington, where they attended Annie Wright Seminary.
At the University of Washington, where she held the position of president of the Associated Women Students, Shirley pursued her studies in art and design.
While attending college, Shirley first met Burton Baskin, who would become her husband. After serving in the Navy for four years during World War II, Burton married Shirley and moved to Southern California.
A family friend of Shirley Baskin
Irv, the brother of Burton and Shirley, formed a partnership and founded the ice cream company Baskin Robbins, which first opened a store in Glendale, California, and later spread to other cities. Shirley wrote the Free Birthday Ice Cream Cone cards, which were widely dispersed in the US for a considerable amount of time, and helped the duo grow their ice cream brand.
At the age of 54, Burton Baskin passed away after a heart attack in 1967. Later, Shirley wed Aaron Goldfarb, who passed away soon after. Isadore Familien, a businessman who passed away in 2002 at the age of 60, was her husband after this. Shirley is also well-known for her work with KCET, overseeing programs like American Family, The Cousteau Odyssey, and Cosmos: A Personal Voyage starting in 1964.
The annual Star Luncheon fundraiser for The KCET Women’s Council also honored Shirley Baskin Familien in 2011. Shirley was also an artist who created collages, images, and other variations on commonplace objects like stools and mannequins using stamps.
Her work has been displayed in the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, and the Los Angeles Craft & Folk Art Museum. In addition to her grandchildren Anabella and David, Scott and Jon, and great-granddaughter Goldie Bronson, Shirley is survived by her children Edie Baskin Bronson, Richard Baskin, and Richard Skip Bronson.
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