Vera Gonzalez (Skokin)

Srpska verzija ispod

Vera Gonzalez (née Ilkić) passed peacefully in her sleep on March 4th, 2026. Vera leaves behind her daughter, Merima, son, Tom, son-in-law, Roberto, grandchildren, James (Iain), Niki (Joseph), and Steven (Katie), and friends and relatives in Canada and Serbia. She is predeceased by her parents Jelena Živković and Jefta Ilkić, siblings Žarko, Mira, Bosiljka, Koviljka, her husband Nemesio Gonzalez, and first husband, Marinko Skokin.

Vera was born in Bela Crkva, Yugoslavia in 1932. She enjoyed a happy childhood surrounded by extended family living in her grandparents’ home. She was particularly close with her Deda, and all her life she would cite the wisdom that he imparted on her as a child. Vera often recounted her adventures visiting her mother at work on the eastern border of Yugoslavia. Vera experienced the tumult of the Second World War, including occupation by German forces, and civil war in Yugoslavia. As a young woman, she eagerly volunteered her labour for multiple projects to help rebuild the country, an early sign of her lifelong work ethic.

Vera later worked in Gudurica as a teacher of Home Economics. She was a skilled educator, able to break down complex processes–like many of her beloved recipes–into digestible steps. She was a lifelong cook, taking great pleasure in feeding her family with large quantities of food from her homeland, like various pitas, štrudla sa makom (poppy seed strudel), prebranac (baked beans), sarma (cabbage rolls), lenja pita sa jabukama (apple cake), and baklava. She never shied away from a culinary experiment, which led to some interesting results at times!

In Gudurica, she met her first husband Marinko Skokin, who was working at Vršacki Vinogradi. Vera and Marinko raised their two children in Vršac, enjoying summer holidays on the Dalmatian coast, and raising (at least for a time), Vera’s pet pig Miško. Miško was an extraordinarily oblong creature who once memorably got a piece of pumpkin lodged in his throat; Vera would regale listeners with the story of her embarrassing journey through the town square in Vršac, walking her pig on a leash to see the veterinarian. In Vršac Vera met lifelong friends Jovanka Margan, Milena Panić, and Milka Santrač and was particularly close with her sister-in-law, Mira Bogosavljević.

In 1967 Vera and her family emigrated to Canada by way of Italy, landing at Pier 21 in Halifax and immediately taking the train to Vancouver. Vera had audacity: two days after arriving in Vancouver she started a job in a restaurant on Robson Street, negotiating her commute from East Van, and training on the job without knowing a word of English. She would later work assembling electronics at Microtel until her retirement. Alongside her friends, Greta and Milo Savković, Zlata and Stan Lazić, Agnes and Žika Naumović, Mita & Desa Vančić, Les and Natasha Bendo, Mike and Mitzi Mašković, and Dušan and Jean Mašković, Vera was a founding member of St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Vancouver. She was an early president of the Kolo Srpskih Sestara, Sveta Petka. She remained an active member of the church community and especially the choir for as long as she was able.

Vera was vivacious, with a boundless energy and an appetite for fun. She loved music, dance and a 4-inch heel. She was open, courageous and opinionated, always eager for a conversation. She loved driving and would think nothing of hopping in the car and heading to see friends in Kelowna. Vera was a prodigious gardener and took great pride and joy in her handiwork. She loved animals, in particular, her beloved Dalmatian dog, Charlie.

In her fifties, Vera met her husband Nemesio (Tony) Gonzalez, and welcomed her three grandchildren into the world. Sadly, Tony would pass away after only seven years of marriage; Vera lovingly cared for him through his illness until his last day. Vera’s grandchildren brought her much joy, and she was a loving and doting Baka. Her grandchildren are blessed with lifelong memories, lessons, and an enduring appreciation for a well-made cheese pita.

Vera experienced a slow and steady decline in her later years. Even as she faded, she maintained her characteristic (and sometimes dry) humour. We are grateful to the staff at George Derby Centre for the compassionate care that they gave to Vera.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Building Fund of St. Sava Church or the BC SPCA in Vera’s memory.

Serbian Version

Vera Gonzalez (rođena Ilkić) upokojila se mirno u snu 4. marta 2026. godine. Za njom u tuzi ostaju ćerka Merima, sin Tom, zet Roberto, unuci James (Iain), Niki (Joseph) i Steven (Katie), kao i mnogobrojna rodbina i prijatelji u Kanadi i Srbiji. Preminula je nakon svojih roditelja Jelene Živković i Jefte Ilkića, braće i sestara Žarka, Mire, Bosiljke i Koviljke, svog supruga Nemesija Gonzaleza, kao i prvog supruga Marinka Skokina.

Vera je rođena 1932. godine u Beloj Crkvi, u tadašnjoj Jugoslaviji. Detinjstvo je provela u toplini porodičnog doma svojih bake i deke, okružena brojnom porodicom. Posebno je bila vezana za svoga dedu, čije je mudre reči često pominjala i kojih se rado sećala tokom celog života. Vera je volela da prepričava uspomene iz detinjstva, naročito svoje posete majci na poslu na istočnoj granici Jugoslavije. Kao i mnoga deca njene generacije, proživela je teška vremena Drugog svetskog rata, uključujući nemačku okupaciju i građanski rat u Jugoslaviji. Kao mlada žena, rado je učestvovala u radnim akcijama, pomažući obnovu zemlje, čime je već tada pokazivala svoju vrednoću i posvećenost radu.

Kasnije je radila u Gudurici kao nastavnica domaćinstva. Bila je vešt i posvećen pedagog, sposobna da složene postupke — poput mnogih svojih omiljenih recepata — objasnila jasno i razumljivo. Tokom celog života bila je predana kuvarica i nalazila je posebnu radost u tome da svoju porodicu okuplja oko bogate trpeze sa jelima iz svog zavičaja, kao što su razne pite, štrudla sa makom, prebranac, sarma, lenja pita sa jabukama i baklava. Nije zazirala ni od kulinarskih eksperimenata, koji su ponekad donosili i zanimljive rezultate.

U Gudurici je upoznala svog prvog supruga Marinka Skokina, zaposlenog u Vršačkim vinogradima. Vera i Marinko podizali su svoje dvoje dece u Vršcu, gde su provodili srećne godine, uživajući i u letnjim odmorima na dalmatinskoj obali. Jedno vreme imali su i neobičnog kućnog ljubimca — prase Miška, neobično duguljasto stvorenje koje se jednom prilikom zamalo ugušilo komadom bundeve. Vera je sa humorom prepričavala kako je, na sopstvenu sramotu, morala da prođe kroz gradski trg u Vršcu vodeći svog prasca na povocu kod veterinara. U Vršcu je stekla prijateljstva za ceo život sa Jovankom Margan, Milenom Panić i Milkom Santrač, a bila je posebno bliska i sa svojom jetrvom Mirom Bogosavljević.

Godine 1967. Vera je sa porodicom emigrirala u Kanadu preko Italije, pristavši na Pier 21 u Halifaxu, odakle su odmah vozom nastavili put za Vancouver. Vera je bila hrabra i odlučna: već dva dana po dolasku zaposlila se u restoranu u ulici Robson, snalazeći se u svakodnevnom putovanju iz Istočnog Vankuvera i obuci za posao iako nije znala ni reč engleskog jezika. Kasnije je radila na sklapanju elektronskih uređaja u kompaniji Microtel sve do odlaska u penziju. Zajedno sa svojim prijateljima Gretom i Milom Savković, Zlatom i Stankom Lazić, Agnes i Žikom Naumović, Mitom i Desom Vančić, Lesom i Natashom Bendo, Mikeom i Mitzi Mašković, kao i Dušanom i Jean Mašković, bila je jedan od osnivača Srpske pravoslavne crkve Svetog Save u Vancouveru. Bila je među prvim predsednicama Kola srpskih sestara „Sveta Petka“ i dugogodišnji aktivni član crkvene zajednice, naročito crkvenog hora.

Vera je bila vedrog duha, neiscrpne energije i velike ljubavi prema životu. Volela je muziku, ples i elegantne cipele sa visokom potpeticom. Bila je otvorena, hrabra i neposredna, uvek spremna za razgovor i druženje. Volela je vožnju i nije joj bilo teško da sedne u automobil i ode u posetu prijateljima u Kelownu. Bila je strastven i vredan baštovan, nalazeći veliko zadovoljstvo i ponos u svom radu. Posebno je volela životinje, a naročito svog voljenog dalmatinskog psa Charlieja.

U pedesetim godinama života Vera je upoznala svog supruga Nemesija (Tonija) Gonzaleza, a ubrzo potom dočekala je i rođenje svoja tri unuka. Nažalost, Toni je preminuo posle samo sedam godina braka; Vera se sa velikom ljubavlju, strpljenjem i požrtvovanjem brinula o njemu tokom njegove bolesti, sve do njegovog poslednjeg dana. Njeni unuci donosili su joj veliku radost, a ona im je bila brižna i posvećena baka. Oni su blagosloveni uspomenama koje će nositi kroz ceo život, poukama koje im je ostavila i trajnom ljubavlju prema dobro napravljenoj piti sa sirom.

U poznim godinama Verino zdravlje je postepeno slabilo, ali je do poslednjih dana zadržala svoj prepoznatljiv, ponekad suvo duhovit smisao za humor. Porodica je zahvalna osoblju George Derby Centra na pažnji, brizi i saosećanju koje su pružili Veri.

Pomen će se održati u kapeli Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 3789 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby, BC V5G 4A9, 19. marta 2026. godine u 10 časova, uz služenje oca Marka Radmanovića i oca Miroslava Dejanova. Polaganje u mauzolej uslediće u 11:30 časova na groblju Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Garden Crypt Mausoleum, blok C.

Umesto cveća, molimo da, u znak sećanja na Veru, razmotrite prilog Fondu za izgradnju crkve Svetog Save ili organizaciji BC SPCA.