Angelika Vera Salomon

Angelika Vera Salomon passed away peacefully at her home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family, on February 23, 2024. She is predeceased by her husband of 47 years and love of her life, Werner Salomon (b. 1905, Berlin, Germany; d. 1999, Los Angeles). She leaves behind their three beloved and loving daughters: Stephanie Salomon (David Fishman), Francisca Salomon (Douglas Parker), and Kathleen Salomon (Stephan Welch); and three grandchildren: Claire Fishman, Mona Welch, and Jack Welch.

Angelika was born on February 26, 1933, in Crossen an der Oder, Germany (now Poland). Her parents were Erna (Wilke) and Kurt Gessert, and she was their only child. She grew up in Berlin, surviving both the horrors of the Nazi era under perilous circumstances because of her half-Jewish background, and the tumult of the early postwar years.

At the age of 19, she emigrated from Germany to the United States, arriving in New York by boat and then traveling to live with relatives, also émigrés, in Los Angeles, where she worked for a short time in retail. She married Werner Salomon, a doctor of internal medicine, on December 27, 1952. Together they created a loving family and graceful home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, of which she was always immensely proud.

A passionate appreciator of beauty—and a striking natural beauty all her life— she was a neighborhood style icon with a late-in-life modeling stint and had a line of clothing named after her. She was known for her inimitable flair as well as her beguiling accent. A reader and storyteller (in both English and German), she also volunteered at the Los Angeles Public Library. She was devoted to her children and grandchildren to whom she passed along her sense of wonder and love of beauty and culture as well as her championship of progressive causes.

During the second half of her life, she assisted her husband in the office of his medical practice. She traveled extensively and adored all things French (her signature perfume was “Paris”). Free-thinking in attitude and expansive in outlook, she made friends of many different ages. An optimist and lover of life—and a great believer in love—she enchanted so many she met and touched hearts wherever she went. She will be missed dearly by her family, friends, and neighbors.

A private ceremony will be held. Donations in her name may be made to: Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/get-involved/ways-togive/make-donationhonorsomeone