Anita Kauffman

Anita Louise Kauffman sadly passed away Sunday morning , June 13, 2021.

She was born in Los Angeles, California on July 29, 1925. Her parents were Val Burton and Ruth Friedman. She grew up in the height of the depression where she lived between Los Angeles and Lake Arrowhead, California. Her father was a decorated RAF fighter pilot in WWI and an Academy Award winning composer and screenwriter in Hollywood.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Anita became a licensed pilot during WWII. Her love for aviation was mentored and passed down to her children and grandchildren. She attended UCLA and Pierce College and went on to pursue long careers in the fashion industry as a fashion writer and later as an Executive Administrator for Pacific Architects and Engineers, managing US military bases abroad. She reluctantly retired at age 75.

She met and fell in love with Gerald (Jerry) Alan Kauffman after he returned from serving in the US Navy in the Pacific during WWII. They were married on September 22, 1946 and were happily married over 42 years until the time of Jerry’s passing in 1988. Anita resided in Los Angeles until 2000, when she moved to Belle Mead, NJ to be with her daughter and grandchildren. In 2012, Anita moved to Denver, CO and lived independently in the Lowry neighborhood surrounded by friends, family and caring neighbors.

Anita was highly intelligent, curious, understanding, giving, playful and joyful. She deeply loved her children, grandchildren and friends. She will be missed deeply by all that were blessed to know her.

Anita is survived by her two children, Kevin Philip Kauffman (Elaine) and Stacy Ruth Diamond; five grandchildren, Jeffrey Val Kauffman (Julia), Jeremy Solomon Kauffman,  Lt. Colby Gerald Diamond, USN, Chase Burton Diamond, Remy Lane Diamond and her great grandson Miles Porter Kauffman. She was lovingly cared for in her last years by Mrs. Gloria Ray.

Burial services will be held at Fairmount Cemetery on Friday, June 25th at 9:45 am. In lieu of flowers, her family suggests donations to Foundation Fighting Blindness at fightingblindness.org