Obituary of Paulina Litvak

Paulina Quintana Litvak was born in Santiago, Chile and died in Denver, just two days after her beloved husband of 43 years, William “Bill” Litvak.   She tragically suffered a brain aneurysm the morning before Bill’s funeral and passed away that evening surrounded by friends and family.  She was the youngest of three daughters and was extremely close with her sisters Marisol Quintana Douglas who lived in Arvada and Cristina Quintana of Santo Domingo, Chile.  She moved to the U.S. and eventually to Arvada to live with Marisol, where she met Bill.  Her passions were literature, traveling, classical music, opera and cooking.   She loved all animals and lavished attention on a long line of pets, as well as the neighborhood squirrels and birds.    She was fiercely intelligent, had a wry wit, and was a great conversationalist.   When she married Bill, she became a stepmother to Bill’s three daughters and always introduced herself as “the wicked stepmother.”  She was anything but, and was an important part of their lives.   She worked as an executive assistant for several oil, gas, and gold mining companies and for the Denver Urban Renewal Authority. She greatly missed her family in Chile and visited often, but was extremely proud of her American citizenship when she became a naturalized citizen in 1999.  She loved the beach, going boating with Bill, and enjoyed orchestrating the annual burning of the winter witch on the shores of Lake Powell.   We are shocked and saddened at her sudden passing.  We expected to have many more years to enjoy her company.       

Paulina is survived by her sister, María Cristina Quintana of Santo Domingo, Chile, her nephew Juan Eduardo, her grandnieces Elvira and Cristina, her grandnephews Diego and Hernán, her great grandnieces Mariana, Pascuala and Cristina and great-grandnephew Nicolás, in Chile and Germany. She is also survived by step-children Karen (Jamus) Skelton, Marcy (Will Pockman) Litvak, and Dianna (Brian Winn) Litvak, and grandchildren Allison Winn, Emily Winn, Ella Pockman and Lucy Pockman.

Memorial service honoring her and William “Bill” Litvak to take place on Sunday, 4/14, at 10am at Feldman Mortuary. Burial for Bill to follow at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Funeral service will be live streamed by Feldman Mortuary’s YouTube channel.

Donations in her name to KVOD Public Radio and Dumb Friends League.

Shiva will be from 1-5p on Sunday at 6098 Beeler Ct. Denver, CO 80238