Beloved Founder Passes Away One Month Before Celebration

  The Bookies Bookstore will celebrate 50 years on August 15, 2021. The celebration is bittersweet as the beloved founder and owner of the charming independent bookstore, Sue Lubeck, passed away on July 8, 2021. “Sue’s work ethic was only surpassed by her generosity,” said Barret O’Brien, Chamber Board member and neighbor of Sue Lubeck. “She was truly one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”

The Bookies posted the following message on its Facebook page on July 9, 2021:

Grassroots: Sue Lubeck started The Bookies Bookstore out of her basement and the back of a van in 1971.

The depths of our despair at sharing this cannot be imagined. Last night, surrounded by her family, our founder Sue Lubeck reached the end of her long story. Sue was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and author of every good thing The Bookies ever was. She leaves behind a world that was richer for her having been in it. A world where countless children learned to love reading. A world filled with more laughter and joy than it will have without her in it. We will never stop missing her and will remember that the greatest joy she found was in all of our happiness. Goodbye Sue.

50 years ago, Sue Lubeck decided the children of Denver needed a magical bookstore. She filled her home basement with children’s books and opened her doors. Soon, the books were joined by teaching resources and they all spilled into the hallway, then the living room, and into the bedrooms.

After 10 years, the books and teaching supplies burst out of the basement and into a bookstore, where they invited a few new friends to join them, like adult books, toys, and games. The Bookies Bookstore has been located in Glendale ever since.

The Bookies Bookstore really is that magical place that Lu

Beloved Founder: Sue Lubeck, founder of The Bookies Bookstore, is remembered as being kind, compassionate, generous, and deeply invested in her community. She passed away on July 8, 2021.

beck envisioned. Community-focused and independently-owned by Sue, The Bookies Bookstore is heaven for booklovers of all ages. If they don’t have something, they’ll find it for you.

50th Anniversary: The Bookies Bookstore will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, August 15.

Many of the staff members have been there for decades and are Denver teachers, teacher mentors, and tutors who know the latest trends and requirements in education today. They are a major supplier of books, classroom sets, educational resources, and professional development materials to Colorado school districts, as well as neighboring states — even California, New York, and China. They make it easy to order and ship to classrooms all over the world!

The Bookies are more than booksellers. They are readers too. Every member of the staff is a walking library and they’re always ready to share book recommendations and knowledge. They are full of suggestions for everyone, from children to adults.

If you can pull yourself away from their bookshelves, you will find they also have hundreds of gifts for all ages, including purses, jewelry, accessories, games, toys, stuffed animals, crafts, and much more. Also, they gift wrap for free.

The Bookies will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, August 15, and the family will hold a public memorial service for Sue Lubeck in September. The Bookies Bookstore is located at 4315 E. Mississippi Ave., in Glendale. For more information, visit www.thebook ies.com or call 303-759-1117.