Obituary for Stevan Zarkovacki
Stevan was born to Lazar and Kata Zarkovacki on August 13, 1931, in Sombor, Yugoslavia. He was one of ten children. He completed his formal education at the age of 15. After he finished his schooling, he was hired at a railway company that repaired and maintained steam engines.
He was 19 when he committed his life to the Lord Jesus. Shortly afterwards, he was drafted into the Yugoslavian army. Because of his religious non-combatant convictions, he was harshly interrogated before being tried and sentenced to 3 years in prison. He completed his sentence in November of 1954. After 6 months, he and his brother Milorad received their 2nd draft notice. They left together for the army camp, where they were sentenced to 5 additional years at a prison which had very difficult conditions. Their brother, Draga, who was in another prison, kindly and successfully petitioned for his brothers to join him. There, the 3 brothers endured the remainder of their sentences together.
Stevan was employed for a year before being drafted a 3rd time. It was at this point that he escaped the country. He fled to Austria, where, as a refugee, he worked at a road construction company for 2 years. In 1962, he immigrated to the US and settled in Akron, Ohio. He worked as a machinist and attended the Apostolic Christian Church of West Akron. It is here he met his future bride, Maria Demrovsky. They married in February of 1968 and had 11 children together.
In 1994, the family moved to Colorado, where he spent the remainder of his life. He learned to keep a lush garden, even in the Rocky Mountains.
Stevan Zarkovacki passed peacefully to his eternal reward on May 4, 2022, at 8:20pm. He was at home and surrounded by family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Maria, 8 sons: Illya, Daniel, Nicholas (Janette), Rudolph (Audrey), Mark, Andrew (Rebecca), Peter, Jacob (Valerie), and 3 daughters: Christina (George Gal), Miriam (Frank Vidakovics), Georgiana (Jonathan Oldja), 37 grandchildren, and 1 great-granddaughter. He is also survived by his brother Peter, and his sister Ljubica Milosevic.
He will be dearly missed by his family and all who knew and loved him. His kind and gentle spirit will forever be in our hearts.
He was 19 when he committed his life to the Lord Jesus. Shortly afterwards, he was drafted into the Yugoslavian army. Because of his religious non-combatant convictions, he was harshly interrogated before being tried and sentenced to 3 years in prison. He completed his sentence in November of 1954. After 6 months, he and his brother Milorad received their 2nd draft notice. They left together for the army camp, where they were sentenced to 5 additional years at a prison which had very difficult conditions. Their brother, Draga, who was in another prison, kindly and successfully petitioned for his brothers to join him. There, the 3 brothers endured the remainder of their sentences together.
Stevan was employed for a year before being drafted a 3rd time. It was at this point that he escaped the country. He fled to Austria, where, as a refugee, he worked at a road construction company for 2 years. In 1962, he immigrated to the US and settled in Akron, Ohio. He worked as a machinist and attended the Apostolic Christian Church of West Akron. It is here he met his future bride, Maria Demrovsky. They married in February of 1968 and had 11 children together.
In 1994, the family moved to Colorado, where he spent the remainder of his life. He learned to keep a lush garden, even in the Rocky Mountains.
Stevan Zarkovacki passed peacefully to his eternal reward on May 4, 2022, at 8:20pm. He was at home and surrounded by family. He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Maria, 8 sons: Illya, Daniel, Nicholas (Janette), Rudolph (Audrey), Mark, Andrew (Rebecca), Peter, Jacob (Valerie), and 3 daughters: Christina (George Gal), Miriam (Frank Vidakovics), Georgiana (Jonathan Oldja), 37 grandchildren, and 1 great-granddaughter. He is also survived by his brother Peter, and his sister Ljubica Milosevic.
He will be dearly missed by his family and all who knew and loved him. His kind and gentle spirit will forever be in our hearts.