Elizabeth Brooks, whose Butterfly Bakery closed in February,
died March 26 at the UCLA Medical Center of a brain hemorrhage or
possible stroke she had suffered three days earlier. She was
73.
The Butterfly on Westwood Boulevard opened in 1973 and remained
popular among locals and celebrities until its close, though recent
increases in rent made business increasingly difficult for
Brooks.
Brooks, the daughter of a candy store owner, moved to Westwood
from Philadelphia in 1972 with her husband, who then was working in
the music management business. The bakery eventually would become
the couple’s sole means of support.
The Butterfly soon established itself as a bastion of good food
and good times. Brooks would chat with customers and occasionally
invite them behind the counter.
In her final months as proprietor of the bakery, Brooks
struggled with her physical health as well as her financial
security.
Because of discomfort resulting from a recent hip injury, Brooks
was forced to serve customers and bake cookies with the aid of a
walker in the months preceding the closure.
Ann Rennie, a 12-year customer and friend said she came to
Brooks’ assistance during this difficult time.
Rennie visited Brooks daily to help with baking and chores and
contributed financially when Brooks could not afford
ingredients.
When the threat of closure became pronounced, Rennie helped to
publicize Brooks’ plight. She called television stations and
convinced an ABC network affiliate to profile Brooks as part of
local coverage.
Though the publicity increased business, it was unable to save
the Butterfly.
After the business’ closure, Brooks continued to bake out
of her Westwood apartment and spoke of opening a new store or
writing a cookbook of celebrities’ favorite recipes.
To those close to her, though, Brooks’ passing paralleled
the demise of her beloved bakery.
“She said (the bakery) was her life and she would die
without it,” Rennie said.
After her husband’s death 10 years ago, the bakery became
Brooks’ focus in life.
She would arrive at the store at 4:30 a.m. to begin baking and
would be the last person to leave.
The Butterfly became a mode of life for Brooks and for those who
visited it frequently.
George Seber, who ate breakfast at the bakery every day for 25
years, said it has been hard for him to walk past the closed bakery
en route to his nearby office.
In its 31 years as a Westwood mainstay, the Butterfly was a
common stopping place for celebrities such as Madonna, Brooke
Shields, Paul Newman, Barbara Streisand and Sidney Poitier.
Brooks’ memorial service, which took place on Sunday at
Holmby Park in Westwood, was a small affair.
About 20 close friends gathered to remember Brooks, who did not
have children or any living relatives.