The message below, from Jerry Burton, was sadly received this AM, followed by a call from Ralph Kramer.  My immediate thoughts were of the tremendous loss for her small immediate family, and the loss also for her larger Corvette Family.  The loss of so much History, Heritage and "Character" of the Corvette Brand.

I thought back to the early days of Mid America Motorworks' history of having Zora and Elfi at Bloomington Gold and at Corvette Funfest.  The squabbles between Zora and Larry Shinoda!  The privilege and honor to know Zora and Elfi as friends, friends that would stay at our home and the cool factor of having such an automotive icon become a family friend. 

I recalled that first time I met Zora and Elfi at the 1976 NCC convention in Florida.  I also recall Zora telling my mother his first impressions of me, long hair and all!  "Oh, he'll never make much, just look at how he looks".

I recalled the phone call from Elfi regarding Zora's death.  I recalled the GREAT HONOR of Elfi asking Michael and Blake to eulogize Zora at the National Corvette Museum during the life of Zora celebration in June of 1996.  What an honor to have your 9 and 10 year old sons speak at such an important moment in Corvette History.

Many of us have Zora and Elfi stories, as they touched so many life's in the Corvette World.

One often faces sadness with humor, and I am certainly one.  In closing, it puts a smile on my face knowing that Zora and Elfi are once again together, and now Zora will have to watch his behavior in the afterlife!


"Sad news: Elfi Arkus-Duntov passed away last night (October 23) at St. John’s Hospital in Detroit. She had been hospitalized there for several weeks with a severe leg infection.

The former dancer from the Folies Bergere in Paris was 93 going on 19. Together, she and Zora personified the performance and allure of those early Corvettes. Even well into their years, the pair had an energy and spark that infected everyone around them. Now they can be together again.

Funeral arrangements are pending."
Regards,

Jerry Burton
Editor
Corvette Quarterly