16 Facts About Eli Timoner

Eli Timoner was an entrepreneur and business executive most notable for creating Air Florida in the 1970s.

Eli Timoner was the son of Benjamin and Rae Timoner.

Benjamin J Timoner had emigrated to New York from Russia when he was 12 and began working in the retail business in 1920.

Eli Timoner was raised in Woodmere, Long Island and earned a BA in Business Administration from the University of Miami in 1950.

Giffen Industries was a publicly-held regional roofing company based in Miami when Eli Timoner joined the board in 1961 to start a turnaround process.

Three years later, the company was showing a profit and Eli Timoner was serving as president.

Eli Timoner quickly moved to expand the company by creating two subsidiaries, Giffen Roofing and Giffen-Bird Realty, both based in Miami.

Eli Timoner resigned from Giffen in December 1970 following a $10.4 million loss due, in part, to the sale of the Stewart-Warner Corp and the abortive attempt to takeover Keller Industries Inc At the time of his departure, Eli Timoner had grown the company into a major conglomerate with more than $140 million in annual sales.

Eli Timoner remained with the firm as a management consultant and retained a significant amount of stock following the sale.

Frustrated at not being able to travel within Florida for his various business interests, Eli Timoner hatched the idea for Air Florida in 1972 as an intrastate carrier serving Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

Eli Timoner ceded the role of chairman to Edward Acker in 1977.

Eli Timoner served on the boards of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, the Board of Miami's Center for the Fine Arts and the Board of Ransom Everglades School.

Rachel Eli Timoner is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn.

In July 1982, Eli Timoner was paralyzed on the left side of his body by a sudden stroke at age 53.

Eli Timoner spent the rest of his life walking unsteadily with a cane.

Eli Timoner was admitted to the hospital in January 2021 with breathing issues.