Luka Stjepanovic
Age - 70
December 9, 2023
Obituary in English:Luka Stjepanovic of Nashville, Tennessee passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones,on the evening of Friday, December 1, 2023. Luka had celebrated his 70 th birthday with family inrecent months before his life was taken by lung cancer. Born August 26, 1953 on the outskirts of the industrial city of Zenica in the former Yugoslavia,Luka was the son of Mile Stjepanovic and Rosa Stjepanovic and the eighth of ten children,including his siblings Milorad, Dorde, Persa, Korsa, Koviljka, and Bozana. Growing up on his family's farm, Luka was a hard worker, valuing his roots and connection tothe land while also taking his education seriously. As a boy, Luka loved doing gymnastics withhis brothers and, in particular, enjoyed hiking with his brother Milorad. Luka excelled inacademics and prided himself on continuing his education, completing a trade school degree inengineering and studying to earn multiple certifications in former Yugoslavia. On December 28, 1974, Luka married Cvijeta, his wife of 49 years, with whom he enjoyedtraveling and spending time with family. Luka was motivated by a strong desire to provide for hisfamily, and though he encountered many obstacles across the course of his life, Luka alwayspersevered, building a strong foundation for his wife and children even when that meantpersonal sacrifice. During the Yugoslav conflict in 1992, Luka said goodbye to Cvijeta,encouraging her to leave him behind and go to their children - who were seeking safety withfamily in Germany - so that they would have at least one parent. Eventually, Luka was able tojoin his family in Germany where he volunteered his time doing service jobs for the elderly,caring for them as he would his own parents. In 1997, the family was forced to split again, with oldest daughter Neza staying behind inGermany, while Luka and the rest of the family found refuge in Nashville, TN, arriving with twosuitcases each. Despite many hardships, Luka found joy in life through art, music, and nature. Luka's beautifully intricate works of thread art hang in many homes, and his skill on theaccordion is remembered with joy by friends and family alike. Luka lived a meaningful, activelife, constantly in motion, always resourceful. Whether attending to his garden and bees,building furniture, or fixing items around the house, Luka was a man of many talents with abrilliant mind. In rare times of rest, Luka enjoyed puzzles, reading, and the card game Romme. Luka's favorite retirement pastime activity was sitting outside under the umbrella watching thesun rise and set with his cherished cat Cici on his lap. Luka is survived by his wife Cvijeta Stjepanovic and his three children, Neza and her husbandZeljko Peric, Jesenka and her husband Sanel Filipovic, and Dejan Stjepanovic and his wifeLauren Moon. Djeda Luka was deeply loved by his five grandchildren, Julian and Nikola Peric;Dino and Ela Filipovic; and Milorad Moon Stjepanovic. He is also survived by his sisters, PersaMalinovic, Korsa Popovic, Koviljka Bostjancic and her husband Ervin, and Bozana Stjepanovic,as well as numerous nephews and nieces. Luka was preceded in death by his parents, Mile andRosa Stjepanovic, and brothers, Milorad Stjepanovic and Dorde Stjepanovic. Luka will be put torest in his beloved homeland of Bosnia. Obituary in Bosnian: U Petak, 1. Decembra 2023. godine, Luka Stjepanovic iz Nashville-a, Tennessee, preminuo jemirno, okruzen sa svojim najblizima. Prije par mjeseci, Luka je proslavio svoj 70. rodendan saporodicom, prije nego sto mu je rak pluca oduzeo zivot. Luka je roden 26. Avgusta 1953. godine na periferiji industrijskog grada Zenica, u bivsojJugoslaviji. Sin Mile i Rose Stjepanovic, bio je osmo od desetoro djece, ukljucujuci bracu isestre: Milorada, Dorda, Perse, Korse, Koviljke i Bozane. Odrastajuci na porodicnom imanju, Luka je bio vrijedan radnik, cijenio je svoje familijarno stabloi povezanost sa svojom istorijom, a istovremeno je ozbiljno shvacao svoje obrazovanje. Luka jekao djecak volio da radi gimnastiku sa svojom bracom, a posebno je uzivao u planinarenju sabratom Miloradom. Luka je bio izvanredan u akademskim studijama i ponosio se time sto jenastavio skolovanje, zavrsio strucnu skolu za masinskog bravara i nadoknadivao skolstvo kakobi stekao vise razlicitih diploma u bivsoj Jugoslaviji. Luka se 28. decembra 1974. vjencao sa Cvijetom, sa kojom je 49 godina uzivao u putovanjima idruzenju sa porodicom i prijateljima. Luka je bio motivisan jakom zeljom da izdrzava svojuporodicu. Iako je nailazio na mnoge prepreke tokom svog zivota, Luka se uvijek izborio, gradecicvrste temelje za svoju zenu i djecu, cak i kada je to islo na njegov licni teret. TokomJugoslovenskog sukoba 1992. godine, Luka se oprostio od Cvijete, ohrabrujuci je da ga ostavi iide djeci - koja su u Njemackoj trazili i nasli sigurnost kod familije sestrine familije Bostjancic -kako bi imali barem jednog roditelja. Na kraju je se Luka uspio pridruziti u ljeto 1993. svojojporodici u Njemackoj, gdje je svoje vrijeme provodio radeci usluzne poslove za starije osobe,brinuci se o njima kao o svojim roditeljima. Godine 1997. , porodica je bila primorana da se ponovo razide, a najstarija cerka Neza je ostalau Nemackoj, dok su Luka i ostatak porodice nasli utociste u Nashville-u, TN, stigavsi svi samosa dva kofera. Uprkos brojnim poteskocama, Luka je radost u zivotu pronasao kroz umjetnost,muziku i prirodu. Lukina prelijepa umjetnost zvana 'Igra Konaca" jos uvijek mnogobrojno visi udomovima familije i prijatelja, a njegovim vjestinama sviranja harmonike s radoscu se sjecajuprijatelji i porodica. Luka je zivio smislenim, aktivnim zivotom, stalno u pokretu, uvijek snalazljiv. Bez obzira da li je vrijeme provodio u basti ili sa pcelama, na raznim kucnim projektima ipopravkama, Luka je bio covjek mnogih talenata i briljantnog uma. U slobodnom vremenu, Lukaje uzivao u slaganju puzli, citanju i kartanju Remija. U svojim penzionerskim danima, uzivao jesjedeci pod suncobranom, gledajuci izlaske i zalaske sunca sa svojim mjezimcem, mackomCicijem, u krilu. Iza Luke ostaju supruga Cvijeta Stjepanovic i njihovo troje djece, Neza i njen suprug ZeljkoPeric, Jesenka i njen suprug Sanel Filipovic, te Dejan Stjepanovic i njegova supruga LaurenMoon. Djeda Luka je takode duboko voljen od njegovih petoro unucadi, Julijan i Nikola Peric;Dino i Ela Filipovic; i Milorad Moon Stjepanovic. Iza njega su ostale sestre Persa Malinovic,Korsa Popovic, Koviljka Bostjancic i njen suprug Ervin, te Bozana Stjepanovic, kao i mnogobrojni sestrici i bratici. Prije Luke su preminuli njegovi roditelji Mile i Rosa Stjepanovic i bracaMilorad i Dorde Stjepanovic. Luka ce biti sahranjen u svojoj voljenoj domovini Bosni.Show more
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