Page 40 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

DIOCESE OF WESTERN AMERICA
While the family attained many close friends in each of the parishes, given the many years spent in Cali- fornia, many friends were found there. In May of 2021, after serving for 45 years as priest, he retired. The parish in Saratoga threw him a lovely retirement ceremony. A few days later, with help from Ted Miljevic, the family packed their belongings, drove cross country, and moved to Fishers Indiana, to be close to their son Predrag, who had moved to Indi- ana two years prior. In Indianapolis Fr. Slobodan and family went to the church where they always warmly welcome by Fr. Dragan, other priests and wonderful parishioners.
In Spring 2022, Father and Popadija (now Proto and Protinica for quite a few years already) took a six-month trip back to their ancestral Serbian lands to visit family. While they took many short vacations there during his career, they were finally able to en-
joy a longer time there, now that they were retired. In September of 2022, Father began feeling a pain in his abdomen and after a hospital trip in Bijeljina, was on an emergency plane 24 hours later back to the US where he was diagnosed with Pancreatic can- cer. Over the following 6 months, despite chemo- therapy treatments, visits to specialists and round- the-clock support from family, his disease progressed, and his symptoms and complications became more numerous.
Fr. Slobodan is survived by his Protinica Djuka, his son Predrag, his brother Very Revered Jovan and his wife Radinka, their kids: Aleksandar, Milicia and Dusica, numerous other nieces, nephews, grand- nieces and grandnephews, as well as a plethora of friends, some as close as family, from around the world.
Funeral of Father Slobodan Jovic,
St. Sava Monastery, Libertyville, Illinois
Monday, February 20, 2023, St. Sava Monastery, Libertyville, Illinois
Father Vidoslav gave a sermon after the gospel reading reminding everyone that our Risen Lord, whom Fr. +Slobodan served for so long,
is the Resurrection and the Life and that this separa- tion is not forever, as Christ will come again to raise the dead.
Fr. Vido thanked Fr. +Slobodan for everything he had done for the Saratoga parish, especially the build- ing of the church, and conveyed the many condolenc- es from the Saratoga parishioners, Kolo sisters and board members to Protinica Djuka and Predrag, and his extended family. Among them Father’s older brother V. Rev. Protopresbyter Jovan Jović.
His Grace Bishop Maxim, who arrived for the fu- neral from Los Angeles, CA, attended prayerfully the Divine Liturgy. After the Liturgy, His Grace Bp. Max- im, who was the Diocesan Bishop of Father Slobodan for more than 15 years, led the Funeral service togeth- er with six priests: Fr. Jovan Todorovic, retired; Fr. Nedeljko Ned Lunich, retired; Fr. Dragan Petrovic, Fr. Marko Matic from Merillville; Fr. Nikolaj Kostur from Chicago and Fr. Vidoslav Vujasin, Saratoga, CA.
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