Page 39 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

Very Rev. Stavrophor +Slobodan Jovic
P October 2, 1954 – February 17, 2023
Lake Superior, when the family moved and were warmly welcomed to their third parish; this time in Duluth Minnesota. Being new to the country, and with very minimal knowledge of the English lan- guage, many of the parishioners were pleasantly sur- prised to hear Fr. Slobodan start his first Liturgy in Duluth with a bit of English.
He was always willing to learn. While in Minne- sota he would both teach himself and take lessons in the English language, and he was a lifelong reader; always interested in technology, history, geography and world events, and enjoyed watching sports, pri- marily tennis. After a few bitterly cold Minnesota winters Fr. Slobodan and the family moved to Her- mitage Pennsylvania in 1991. While in Pennsylvania, ever the student, Fr. Slobodan enrolled in Slippery Rock University where he attained both his under- grad college degree, as well as a masters in History and Education. His final masters paper focused on the life of Saint Sava.
In the summer of 2000, Fr. Slobodan and the family moved to Saratoga California, where he would spend the next 21 years. During his time in California, Father, with the help from parishioners, worked to attain the architectural design, permit- ting, fundraising and building of a beautiful new church. He also served as a dean in the diocese.
riest +Slobodan Jovic, 68, of Fishers, Indiana, passed away February 17, 2023 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born in Lopare
Yugoslavia (now Republika Srpska) to his father Boro and mother Smilja Jovic on October 2nd, 1954. +Slobodan was the youngest of 4 brothers, and grew up on the family farm with a traditional upbringing where the main export, to this day, is delicious plums.
When he had finished his primary schooling, +Slobodan decided that he wanted to serve our Lord, and packed his bags and went to a high school seminary in Sremski Karlovci where he met many of his beloved lifelong friends. In 1973 he met a lovely young lady, Djuka Lukic, who he would wed in Oc- tober of 1975. When he finished seminary, Slobodan became a deacon for a single day before becoming a priest, with his first parish being in Slavonski Ko- bash.
He and his Popadija spent 7 years in Slavonia, be- fore being assigned a new parish in Koper Slovenija. It was in Koper where his first and only child, his son (and future Alter-boy) Predrag was born. It was 1988 when Fr. Slobodan and family traded in the sunny shore of Koper for another shore, this time that of
2023 DIOCESAN ANNUAL
V. Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor
Slobodan Jovic – Memorial Eternal
It is with profound sadness, but with hope and expectation
of the Resurrection, that we inform you of the repose of our dear brother and former parish priest at the St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Saratoga, California
†V. Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor
SLOBODAN JOVIC
* October 2nd, 1954 + February 17th, 2023
We express our sincere condolences
to his wife Protinica Djurdjiјa and his son Predrag.
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