Paula (Brotman) Spivack, who got her first laughs in the drama program at Everett High School and went on to entertain with a pantomime act of her own invention, died on October 18, 2026, with family beside her. She was 93 and lived in Chelsea.
She was born on May 8, 1933, the daughter of Leo and Rose (Kaplan) Brotman of Everett. Her mother died when she was six months old, and she was brought up by her father and Edith (Tunkel) Brotman, the mother she knew all her life, alongside her brother, Alan, who died before her. She graduated from Everett High in 1951.
The act that grew out of those school plays had her impersonating Danny Kaye, Buddy Hackett and Louis Armstrong at bridal showers and other gatherings. At Congregation Tifereth Israel in Everett she wrote and directed comedy shows for the synagogue.
She married Sam Spivack in 1953. Their marriage lasted more than 55 years, until he died in 2009. Before Chelsea she had lived in Everett and in Salem, New Hampshire, where the family cottage on Arlington Pond was her favorite place. There she built a rock wall, laid flagstone, gardened, kept a workbench in the cellar and cooked for whoever was coming up to the lake. She swam and dove into her 80s, made elaborate photo collages for her children and grandchildren, and followed the Red Sox and the Patriots.
She leaves a son, Earl Spivack, and his wife, Phyllis (Delorey), of Wakefield; a daughter, Adele Garlick, and her husband, David, of Merrimack, New Hampshire; grandchildren Shayna Neuburg, Joshua Garlick, Rebecca Spivack, Kayla Garlick and Allison Spivack; a great-granddaughter, Hannah Neuburg; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A grandchild, Leah Garlick, died before her.
Services were held on October 21 at Torf Funeral Chapel, 151 Washington Avenue, Chelsea. The family asked that gifts in her memory go to Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, 165 Captains Row, Chelsea, MA 02150.
Compiled from information published by Torf Funeral Service, 151 Washington Avenue, Chelsea. Photograph courtesy of the family via Torf Funeral Service. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s obituary page. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.