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Sep 13, 2009 · Leonard Kovner Obituary. KOVNER, Leonard L., M.D. Sept. 14, 1919-Sept. 02, 2009 Survived by wife of 62 years Elaine Kovner, Son: Len Kovner, Jr., Grandchildren: Lauren Kovner Rifenbark...
- She Was Born in The Right Place
- She Almost Didn't Make It
- She Suffered A Family Tragedy
- She Was Found Alone
- She Held onto The Trauma
- Her Hobby Helped Her Move on
- She Got Discovered
- She Fought Off A Star
- She Played It Safe
- Her Hopes Were Dashed
Before Esther Williams’ birth, her family had relocated to Los Angeles because of her big brother's burgeoning film career. Esther was born soon after the move, and dad hadn’t had a chance to build any bedrooms in their new home. So, in 1921, the living room became the delivery room for baby Esther. But even that inauspicious beginning almost never...
When she got older, Esther Williams made a disturbing discovery. She learned that she was an unwanted child. She was the fifth of five and her mother was done raising children. When she was carrying Esther, Bula Williams tried to end the pregnancy. Her unsuccessful attempts included going horseback riding and jumping from furniture. Bula didn’t los...
Esther Williams wasn’t the only star in the family—her older brother Stanton actually had a show biz break of his own. Academy Award-nominated actress Marjorie Rambeau noticed him and thought he had a chance in movies. Stanton made two films—but then, the unthinkable happened. Stanton’s colon suddenly burst, and he didn’t survive. Sadly, there was ...
About five years after Stanton passed, William’s mother—maybe in an effort to replace her lost son—invited 16-year-old Buddy McClure to join the family. McClure had recently lost his mother, and so the fit seemed perfect. But McClure was hiding a terrifying dark side. Late one night McClure caught young Esther alone, and raped her. Esther kept what...
Williams finally confessed what had happened to her mother, who confronted McClure. While he did admit to her what happened, she took mercy on him—at first. Eventually, she kicked him out, and the family never saw him again. Esther Williams needed an outlet to move on from this horrible period, and she eventually found one that would change her lif...
Williams found solace in the water, and became interested in competitive swimming. While the ocean was fine, she preferred pools, and took a job counting towels to ensure her admission at the local one. She also found a quick leg up by learning strokes that other female swimmers didn’t practice, including the butterfly. It seems strange that someth...
After Esther Williams won three US national championships in swimming, impresario Billy Rose noticed her skill and beauty. Rose was running a show called Aquacade,which was an over-the-top music, dance, and swimming extravaganza. Rose offered Williams a part in the show to replace a departing performer. A stunned Williams jumped at the job—but she ...
While working in Aquacade, Williams co-starred with Olympic swimmer and actor Johnny Weissmuller. Later, in her memoir, Williams spilled the tea about her heartthrob co-star.Williams wrote that Weissmuller was constantly trying to seduce her, but the Tarzan portrayer’s ape-like attempts at courtship didn’t impress Williams. She ended up turning him...
When attending Los Angeles City College, Esther Williams had met doctor-in-training Leonard Kovner and fell hard. The two tied the knot on June 27, 1940, near San Francisco—but their whirlwind romance wasn’t the fairy tale that Williams expected. She said of her husband: “he was smart, handsome, dependable...and dull.” Ouch. Williams tried, but the...
By 1940, Esther Williams had set her sights on the Olympics Games. That year, Japan was the host city—but then, tragedy struck. Tensions that were leading to WWII caused the IOC to cancel the Olympics. Williams’ dreams of winning gold were completely shattered. So, she did what any resourceful athlete would do: she switched to acting. Pikist
At 17, Ms. Williams married Leonard Kovner, a pre-med student whom she supported by working as a stock girl at a fancy department store.
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Sep 2, 2009 · Dr Leonard L Kovner. KOVNER, Leonard L., M.D. Sept. 14, 1919-Sept. 02, 2009 Survived by wife of 62 years Elaine Kovner, Son: Len Kovner, Jr., Grandchildren: Lauren Kovner Rifenbark and Len Kovner III, and Great-grandson Maxwell Rifenbark. Predeceased by son Bernard Kovner, in 1990.
Williams married four times. She met her first husband, Leonard Kovner, while attending Los Angeles City College. She later wrote in her autobiography The Million Dollar Mermaid that "he was smart, handsome, dependable ... and dull. I respected his intelligence, and his dedication to a future career in medicine. He loved me, or so he said, and ...
Jun 6, 2013 · June 6, 2013 at 2:31 p.m. EDT. Esther Williams, a championship swimmer and lustrous beauty who became one of the world’s most popular movie stars in the 1940s and ’50s by appearing in aquatic...
May 8, 2018 · Frustrated at her powerlessness to remedy either situation, Williams agreed to marry a young medical student, Leonard Kovner, whom she had met while attending Los Angeles City College. The two were married between shows on June 27, 1940, shortly before Williams turned 18.
