Obituary of Jolanthe Saks

Jolanthe Saks, 97, of Denver, Colorado, passed away on June 4th. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1928 to Samuel and Gertrude Pinkas, she came into a world that was descending into conflict. From the very beginning, she met life with quiet strength and avid curiosity. At age 11 she and her mother left Austria and she found refuge in Oxford, England — a place that would nourish her deep love of learning. Even as war raged in Europe, many of her best childhood memories were of biking through the English countryside with friends.

It was in Oxford that she met her husband, Lemon Saks, a Danish-American soldier stationed in England. With Lemon, she took on greater adventures, moving to Queens, New York and, eventually, Denver, Colorado. Finding a new home in the open skies of the West, Jolanthe and Lemon built a life there and raised their two children, Nina and Mikkel.

Jolanthe lived her life with vitality and a keen sense of wonder. Not content to just watch life pass by, she embraced it fully. She traveled the world, visiting every corner of the globe many times over. In her 70s, you could still find her skiing down the slopes of Vail or biking the Cherry Creek trail.

She never stopped learning. She enjoyed French classes and was eager to chat about a recent news article. That was her spirit: curious, engaged, alive.

She lived independently well into her 90s with a resilience that carried her through decades and continents, triumphs and sorrows, joys and challenges.

Though she is no longer with us in body, her spirit remains deeply woven into each of our lives through the languages we speak, the mountains we climb, and the journeys we take.

Jolanthe is preceded in death by her husband Lemon and mother Gertrude. She is survived by her son Mikkel (Catherine) Saks and her daughter Nina (Richard) Saks Robinson; Grandmother of Elizabeth (Alexander Sun) Robinson, Amanda (Derek Smith) Robinson, Julia (Jeremy Stone) Robinson, Michael Saks, Steven Saks, Adam Saks, Matthew Saks, and Bekka Saks; and many more great-grandchildren.

Service at Temple Emanuel, Monday 6/9, 10:00 am, with interment to follow at Emanuel Cemetery.

Donations in Jolanthe’s memory may be made to two of her favorite charities, The Denver Art Museum and The Denver Public Library.