Obituary of Julia Vean

Julia Vean, of Denver, and formerly of Pueblo, passed away on March 6, 2025. Julia was preceded in death by her loving husband, Forrest “Forie”/”Mad Sam” Vean, z”l, and a grandson, Matthew Hepner, z”l. She is survived by her daughters, Nannette Vean and Michelle (Michael) Hepner; her grandchildren, Zachary (Amanda) Hepner; Joshua Hepner and Hannah Hepner, her great grandson, Forrest Hepner, and numerous loving nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Julia was also preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Jennie Litvack, z”l, and her sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Marvin Strait, z”l.

Julia was born in Pueblo on September 15, 1930. Her sister, Shirley, was born five years later. Julia was so enamored with her new sister that she didn’t want to attend school. Though she knew both English and Yiddish, she spoke only in Yiddish when she first started kindergarten. She was sent home by her teacher, who told her parents that she would have to speak in English in order to remain in school. Her plot was foiled, and she relented. Ironically, she ultimately ended up being such a star student that she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class.

Julia married Forrest Vean on August 6, 1950 in Pueblo. Forie was a Denver native (affectionately known as “Herb Vean’s little brother”) and the couple lived in Denver for a short while. Soon after, Forie was deployed to Korea to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and Julia pursued her college education.

When Forie returned from Korea, they settled in Pueblo. Forie joined Julia’s father, Samuel Litvack, as a partner in business at the Sam Nelson Furniture Company in Pueblo. The business was known as the “Home of Mad Sam” and Forie, himself, became known as “Mad Sam”. The business was open until 2006 and Julia could frequently be found at the store after her retirement from teaching, working on the books or testing out the couches.

Julia started her college education at the University of Colorado and ultimately received a B.S.B.A. in Business Education from the University of Denver in 1954. Michelle was born in 1955 and Nannette in 1958.

Julia was a loving and attentive mother to her daughters. She was involved in their early education and activities and once they were in school she became a room mother and often accompanied her daughters’ classes on field trips. Julia was well known to her daughters’ friends. She loved to have their friends over for snacks after school. Once the girls became active in BBYO events, she enjoyed hosting the teens from Denver who came for those events. Everyone knew “Mrs. Vean”!

As the girls became older, Julia began teaching part-time in Pueblo School District No. 60. She had a distinguished 30-year career as a teacher and librarian. She taught 3rd grade and kindergarten at three different Pueblo elementary schools and finished her career at East High School, where she taught business education and was a librarian in the media center. Go East Eagles!

While teaching, Julia continued her education and earned an M.A. in Education from Colorado State University in 1976 and another M.A. in Librarianship and Information Management from the University of Denver in 1985.

Judaism was an extremely important part of Julia’s life. She and Forie were long time members of the United Hebrew Center in Pueblo where she served as President of the Sisterhood and ultimately President of the congregation. For many years, Forie served as the volunteer congregant in charge of maintaining and overseeing the operation of the B’nai Jacob Cemetery. Julia was a life-long Hadassah member. While she did not have a Bas Mitzvah as a young teen, she was determined to study and become a Bas Mitzvah as an adult. She accomplished that in 1987 at Temple Emanuel in Pueblo. In addition to their membership at the United Hebrew Center, Julia and Forie joined the Hebrew Educational Alliance in Denver, where they would attend services when in town to see family

Julia’s civic contributions were numerous and impressive. She was recognized for those contributions in 2011 when she was nominated as one of sixteen women to be honored at the Pueblo City-County Library District’s annual Outstanding Women Awards luncheon. She was nominated for that award by the American Association of University Women, for which she was a past President and life member. She devoted 10 years of service to the Pueblo Library District, culminating in her election as President in 1997. She also served on the Boards of Posada, Bluesky, Broadway Theatre League, the Sangre de Cristo Hospice, and the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center.

Julia had an active social life and played in a mahjong group for many years. She also loved to shop and had a particular affinity for miniature glass shoes, of which she had at least 200 pair.

Julia loved traveling. She visited Israel three times and her first trip there was with Forie. The two of them also enjoyed trips to New York, Hawaii and wherever there were annual furniture markets to attend. Julia’s travel with other family members included trips to California, New York, Florida, Louisiana, and Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge, here in Colorado.

After spending almost her entire life in Pueblo, Julia moved to Denver in early 2018 to be near her daughters and other family members. She lived in a condominium until late 2022, at which time she moved into an apartment at the Carillon at Belleview Station where she enjoyed the activities and the new friendships she developed. Once she moved to Denver, Julia became very active at the Hebrew Educational Alliance where she dearly loved attending services and events.

Service, Monday March 10^th, 10:00 am, Hebrew Educational Alliance; Interment, B’Nai Jacob Cemetery, Pueblo. Livestream available on Feldman Mortuary’s YouTube channel.

Contributions suggested to:

B'nai Jacob Cemetery Association

c/o United Hebrew Center

Attn: David Israel

106 West 15th Street

Pueblo, CO 81003

Tall Tales Ranch

P.O. Box 631903

Highlands Ranch, CO 80163

Or Hebrew Educational Alliance