Pauline Valdivia, the executive director of Hollister’s Jovenes de Antaño, died Sept. 23 at the age of 79. The cause of death has not been disclosed. In 1975, Valdivia co-founded Jovenes, which provides services to seniors and people with disabilities.
“What can I say about someone I have known all my life?” said Mickie Luna, founding member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). “Pauline really cared about people, especially the elderly. I think it was because she was so close to her mom and dad. Her interest was in being of service to others. That was her life: her dream to help senior citizens and promote the senior community. And she did the best she could, and we should remember her for that.”
In a previous BenitoLink interview, Valdivia talked about the origin of Jovenes de Antaño. “We had a passion for the elderly,” she said. “We found a lot of people who lived alone, were malnourished, and needed help. We started serving meals at the center and then started to do delivery. We grew from that.”
Longtime Jovenes employee and treasurer Connie Padron started as a volunteer 37 years ago and worked closely with Valdivia. She was helping to plan Valdivia’s retirement party when she heard the news about her death.
“This is a very emotional time for us,” she said. “I would never want to work for anyone else. She was very loving and caring, and that is what you got from her. She never micromanaged, and she always let you grow. Everyone at Jovenes is here because they want to serve the community and because that is what she wanted to do. We want to be part of her vision for San Benito County.”
Now retired, Abigal Ramirez worked with Valdivia soon after the founding of Jovenes, starting with part-time work doing filing.
“She called me and said that one of the girls who worked there had broken her leg,” she said. “She asked me to help temporarily. After that, it was on and off until 1980, when she started with home-delivered meals and I worked with her on that for 30 years. She was a good boss who understood us, and she was a fighter for the community and the rights of seniors. The last time I heard from her, she was still working as hard as ever. I am just in shock.”
Valdivia also served with the Community Service Development Corporation with Fernando Gonzalez, Board Chair of the Community Foundation for San Benito County, who said, “I have known her for 50 years, and the one thing I can really say about her is that she was always concerned about the needs of the community. On our board, she was always an advocate for senior housing and was always a pleasure to work with. She was always prepared and always had good ideas.”
Valdivia spent 16 years on the Hollister City Council and is remembered by Mayor Ignacio Velasquez for her tireless work.
“I knew her long before I was mayor, working with her on various projects,” he said. “She was always that person who was looking for ways to improve the community, and seniors were her absolute passion. She had that kind of drive to help people. She was on top of everything, and she never stopped. She was a trailblazer, and you can’t say enough about people like her. She never tried to enrich herself, and she lived for the work she was doing. She was a wonderful, incredible person.”
Though the loss of Valdivia will resonate through the community, Jovenes de Antaño will remain as a permanent memorial to her.
“I hope people continue to support Jovenes, in memory of Pauline,” Luna said. “After all, it was not just Pauline’s dream but a dream she created for the community. We need to continue that and help each other.”
There will be a visitation on Oct. 3 from 8 a.m through 9:30 a.m. at Black-Cooper-Sander Funeral Home & Crematory, 363 7th St. in Hollister. The funeral service will be on Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at Sunnyslope Christian Center, 1520 Sunnyslope Rd. in Hollister.
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