Miodrag Jovanovic Obituary
Our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, colleague, and friend Misha Jovanovic passed away peacefully Friday, October 13, 2023 at 11:08 pm.
None of the treatments had worked to stop the virulent cancer from growing. So one month prior, doctors stopped treatments, and Misha began hospice care at home. It was a practically painless period thanks to fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, and gabapentin.
Father Bratislav Bratso Krsic of the St George Serbian Orthodox church served Misha communion several times during this period. Baptized into the Serbian Orthodox faith as a child, Misha acknowledged Jesus Christ as his Savior. During the past nine months, he suffered through four chemotherapy treatments, four immunotherapy treatments, and 15 radiation treatments as well as eight blood transfusions and one platelet transfusion--not to mention the countless blood draws and other injections. So now he is with our Lord and without anymore pain. Memory Eternal!
Misha was born in Serbia in former Yugoslavia, May 18, 1947, the only son of Mikhailo Jovanovic and Dana Marjanovic. He attended the University of Belgrade and the University of Skopje, majoring in French. In addition to French, he spoke fluent English, Spanish, and Italian. He worked as a multi-lingual tour guide for Atlas of Dubrovnik before immigrating to San Diego, California, in 1979. In San Diego, he formed Misha Tours and purchased the travel agency Firstworld Travel of El Cajon in 1985. He was an active member of the National Tour Association (NTA), attending 38 consecutive national meetings. He traveled extensively around the world. He booked travel for hundreds of people and was especially adept at connecting Serbian folks with their ancestral land.
Although, he thoroughly adopted and promoted the USA and San Diego, he never forgot the place of his birth. He was an avid follower of Serbian athletes such as Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, as well as being a big proponent of the genius inventor Nikola Tesla to whom we can thank for the ubiquitous wireless technology we now enjoy.
Misha's other interests included football-soccer, chess, and gardening. He played on many different soccer teams from the 1980s until his last game January 11, 2023, one month before his cancer diagnosis. Notably he formed an all-Serbian team called Morava, which played for several years in the San Diego County league. In the end, he was one of the oldest players in the county. He loved chess but could find few players in San Diego. He was well-known for posting many pictures of his natural garden on the grounds of his Mt Helix home, which consumed most of his later years free time.
Misha is survived by Marsha Kay Jovanovic, his wife of 43 years; his son Aleksandar Sasha and his wife Ariann Jovanovic, granddaughters Cora and Kim; his daughter Maralee Goetz Randall and granddaughters Jacqueline and Christina, and grandson Matthew; his nephew Mladen Bozickovic and his wife Julie Gertzer, grandnephew Solomon and grandniece Sarah--all in the San Diego area. In Serbia, he is survived by his sister Miriana Bozickovic and her husband Miodrag, and nephew Milan Bozickovic and his wife Dragana Jakimovska and grandniece Nadja; and his sister Svetlana Jovanovic. He is also survived by many cousins in both Serbia and the USA, including his first cousin (sister from aunt) Veca Vicky Petrovic of Racine, WI.
Funeral services were held at St George Serbian Orthodox Church on Friday, October 20, and Saturday, October 21, with interment at Singing Hills Memorial Park in El Cajon. A memorial after 40 days, Parastos, will be held at St George Church, following divine liturgy, on November 19, 2023. Lunch after the Serbian tradition will follow in the church hall.
In Misha's memory, the family suggests donations to St George Serbian Orthodox Church, 3025 Denver St, San Diego, CA 92127.
