Virginia Pavletic

As far as Virginia was concerned, there were only two types of people in this world; her friends and those who were going to be her friends shortly after they met. Virginia was energized by interacting with people and even brief conversations at the store checkout, the deli counter, or standing in line at the bank, she would know your children's and spouse's names, what line of work you were in, and your favorite food!
While she enjoyed being with family and friends, she cherished the lifelong relationships with her grade school friends, Elaine, Dolores, and Lois, that spanned nearly eight decades.

Virginia was born in Chicago to John (Jan) and Catherine (Katarzyna) Frask on April 2nd, 1931. She and her older brother Henry (Hank) grew up on Escanaba Blvd (8111) in a vibrant South Chicago neighborhood with a colorful cast of notable and notorious characters. She took great delight in telling stories of seeing Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano visiting family in the area and how they were kind and generous with the neighborhood children.

Along with the people in her life, Virginia grew up with a small pack of beloved Pomeranians: Butch, Bozo, and Toby, as well as a cat. However, one of her favorite stories was not about the Poms but rather a sheepdog she got from a neighbor's litter. In her telling of the story, as she is walking her new sheepdog friend home, the dog knocks her down and pulls off part of her skirt resulting in a scene worthy of a Warner Brothers cartoon! Even though only her skirt and modesty were slightly injured, it was decided that the Poms were the more manageable option for the petite six-year-old Virginia.

Virginia attended South Shore High School excelling in academics and tennis. During those days, she rode horses at Jack & Jill Ranch and participated in service and student government groups. She delighted in sharing stories about all the gangsters' relatives who attended her school and about a parrot at the bar where her Dad cashed his checks, who constantly yelled: "Pivo" (beer in Polish).

Following graduation, Virginia used her artistic talent while working for the Women's Division of Franklin Manufacturing and later at Cunningham and Walsh Advertising, where a member of her team designed the "Let Your Fingers Do The Walking" Yellow Pages jingle. She enjoyed gardening throughout her life, sharing gardening tips and tricks with her son-in-law, and won countless 'Garden Club' and 'Yard of the Month' awards, which were just another outlet for her inner artist.

Fate struck at her friend Emily's wedding, where she met Rudy Pavletic. A year later, Virginia and Rudy were married and embarked on a lifelong adventure. Before she met Rudy, Virginia lived on the same street her whole life. However, after they married, she moved fifteen times across five states all over the country. They finally landed back in Texas, where her daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons had settled.
Cruising was their favorite method of visiting places, including the Mediterranean, Panama Canal, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, and Northern Europe. After Rudy retired, they were constantly planning their next trek abroad. Virginia and Rudy built a life together over 54 years before his passing.

When not on a worldwide adventure, you would find Virginia attending her grandsons' soccer and baseball games, swimming with them in their pool, and exploring museums, zoos, and parks, although she drew the line at sliding down the slide at a restaurant play area. She hosted sleepovers for her grandsons, letting them stay up late and eat junk food. Virginia would exclaim, "First I was Mom, but now I'm Nana!" — a role she cherished. She adored her two grandsons, continuing to send silly mail to them in college to let them know she thought about them. She asked about them often and always first.

Anyone who knows Virginia will know she enjoyed all holidays and loved to entertain, finding any excuse to host or attend a party. Holidays were her favorite, and decorating was a must, giving her a new outlet for her artistic expression. She enjoyed creating elaborate holiday baskets stuffed with goodies for her grandchildren. The grown-ups also received holiday baskets, with more "grown-up" contents like Russian beer or Polish vodka, representing her ancestry. They reflected everything she loved: travel, decorating, entertaining, and family.

Virginia passed away suddenly Monday, July 25th, 2022, on her way to Bingo! with her care companion. It was something she enjoyed; she was set to have a wonderful afternoon.
She leaves behind her daughter Nancy, son-in-law, Scott, grandsons Cameron and Derek, and a host of friends and nieces, Darlene and Cynthia.
She was adored by all, though most of all loved by her family. We will miss her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 A.M., Saturday, August 13, 2022 at Lucas Funeral Home located at 1321 Precinct Line Road, Hurst, Texas 76053.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Virginia's memory and honor.

St. Jude Children’s Hospital https://www.stjude.org/

K9’s for Warriors (my uncle was a war vet) https://k9sforwarriors.org/

Dementia Society of America https://www.dementiasociety.org/

Or your favorite animal charity –because Virginia loved her rescue dogs.