Divna Todorovich

Divna was born to Leposava “Poyka” Stajic and Boris Todorovich on June 20, 1940, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in the midst of World War II. The family was separated by war, and Divna lived in Belgrade under her mother’s care until civil war forced them to flee to Rome in 1945. They then moved to Paris, where Divna went to school and her mother was remarried to Branislav “Branko” Baltic.

In 1950, she settled with her family in Elizabeth, NJ, where Divna graduated from Battin High School. She received a scholarship to Adelphi College and ultimately graduated Phi Beta Kappa from New York University. Soon after, Divna earned her Master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University.

Divna’s first job at the Elizabeth Public Library kickstarted a decades-long career in children’s literature. She worked for several years as a librarian in London, and in 1968, finally settled at the Library of Congress, where she went on to work for over 40 years. Divna was active and well-regarded in her profession, serving on the Newbury Award Selection Committee and the International Board on Books for Young People.

In 1973, Divna was married to William Sittig, whom she met at the Library of Congress. She was a devoted mother to their son, Alexander, who was born in 1976. Divna retired in 2010 and enjoyed volunteering at the Library of Congress, lunching with friends, enjoying French and British television, and doting on her granddaughter.

She is survived by her husband, William; son, Alexander; daughter-in-law, Emily Sargent; and granddaughter, Sofija Sittig. She is also survived by a large family of beloved cousins in Belgrade and dear friends the world over, in addition to her half-siblings, Mara Farrell, John Todorovich, and Lina Todd.

A memorial reception will be held at Gawler’s Funeral Home at 5130 Wisconsin Avenue, NW on December 3 from 3:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Reading Is Fundamental and Habitat for Humanity.