pavlinac was born laverne johnson on december 19, 1932 in marshland, oregon. she was raised in clatskanie, where she graduated from clatskanie high school in 1950. she worked as an aide at dammasch state hospital in wilsonville, and resided in west linn. in 1950, she married warren brown, who died in 1978. she subsequently married rudy pavlinac that year, but the marriage was short-lived, as he died in 1979.