Filor Pancuk

Many things can be said about Filor Pancuk. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. Filor was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around her. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

Her parents were Sarkis and Varsenik Leventyan. Filor was raised in Istanbul. When she was young, Filor's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Filor demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her.

Filor grew up with 8 siblings. Filor was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. She was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served her well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Filor carried these traits into her adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found her pleasurable and delightful to be around. Filor was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew.

Always considered a “good” friend, Filor sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Filor always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Filor’s friends found her easy to know and get along with because of her talent for being socially at ease, adept at conversation, and always amiable in her dealings with others. Filor would always seek to learn what her friends enjoyed, and she would go out of her way to make sure that their needs were met. Filor was always seen as the type of person who was the more gracious giver. In fact, she sometimes felt ill at ease when she was the one on the receiving end. Throughout her life she had many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were her sisters.

On June 20, 1954 Filor married Manouk Pancuk at the St. Vartan's Armenian Church of Istanbul, Turkey. Compassionate and devoted, Filor worked hard to make her new family happy. She was always generous with her time and this meant that Manouk came first in Filor’s book. She was always caring and made certain that she considered Manouk’s feelings. By trusting her emotions, Filor did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Filor was truly a person of empathy.

Filor’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Filor shared these values with her two children, a daughter Eva and a son Sarkis. Filor was also blessed with three grandchildren, Linda, Rita and Tina. Filor related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them.

Filor experienced success in her work life over and over again. Her primary occupation was her primary occupation was a homemaker. Filor always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by her colleagues as a team player. Filor took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Filor was one to take the initiative and her skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Filor continually sought to learn what her co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled her to help them develop their own potential.

Because she was organized and methodical, Filor took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were sewing, knitting and cooking. Filor enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

Filor derived much satisfaction from sports. Because she was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Filor delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. Filor was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams' events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were basketball and hockey.

Throughout her life, Filor was actively involved in professional and community organizations. With a talent for focusing in on exactly what was required to be completed, Filor was known to her peers as being able to strengthen any group endeavor. When called on, Filor was a natural leader who created harmony and good relationships within the group, often putting her own needs aside. Filor’s involvement could easily help structure and organize any part of an organization. An added benefit was Filor’s ability to bring valued principles along with her. Throughout her later years, Filor was an active member of the a Women's guild at an Armenian Church.

Filor’s faith was important to her. She was a member Holy Cross Armenian Church for 10yrs. During that time, she was cooking and baking for the church. She was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in her work with the congregation.

Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Filor was given accolades for her many and varied efforts throughout her life. If the truth were known, Filor was always a little uncomfortable with being singled out for recognition. Some of her most prestigious awards included a honorary pin for being a member of the church.

Filor enjoyed traveling, and because she was so well organized, she would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Filor were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included Key West, Greece, Turkey and New York.

Filor was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Filor's favorite was Charlie a shih tzu. They were best friends for 15 years. Her family was rounded out by her variety of dogs through out her life.

Filor passed away on November 21, 2014 at Florida Medical Center in Lauderhill, Florida. Congestive heart failure/stroke. She is survived by her children Eva and Sarkis and grandchildren Linda, Rita and Tina. Services were held at Forest Lawn Funeral Home South in Davie, Florida.

Throughout her life, Filor was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. She would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. She was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Filor leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Filor Pancuk.