Nikola Sajko

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Nikola Sajko on March 31, 2015 at the age of 85, peacefully at home surrounded by family.

Born in Vivodina, Croatia, in 1929, Nick and Marija (Mary) née Stulac (also of Vivodina) fled the former Jugoslavia in 1957 hoping to find freedom and prosperity in Canada. In late September 1958, Nick, wife Mary, and son Geno arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, aboard the S.S. Maasdam, the proverbial dollar each in their pockets. The family was welcomed at the Pier by Mary’s uncle (the late Ivan Kapusin), and they chose to stay with him in Halifax rather than board the planned train for Vancouver.

Finding themselves in a new land with another language, Nick and Mary worked tirelessly to learn English, make friends, and create a life for themselves, and their soon-to-be-expanded family. Trained as a blacksmith in Croatia but finding little call for his trade here, Nick’s determination took him to night school at NSIT (Nova Scotia Institute of Technology) where he built on his smith skills to become a master machinist.

Nick was a talented, inventive man, whose creativity at solving mechanical challenges placed him in high demand as a professional machinist. He worked at the American Can Company and its successors and after that Philips Cables in Dartmouth until retirement, but he shared the entrepreneurial spirit of many first-generation Canadians. He not only freelanced as a machinist, he also acquired and managed an apartment building in Dartmouth, and, with Mary at his side, ran a successful boarding house on Tobin Street, where they raised their own growing family.

Throughout his life, Nick’s hard work and dedication to family were rewarded by a home overflowing with family, friends, food, and laughter. He loved his Tatamagouche cottage on the Northumberland shore, tended his vegetable garden with something akin to obsession, and enjoyed few things more than roasting a pig on the mechanical spit he built himself and making homemade wine. Nick was a devout Catholic, and a devoted Croatian-Canadian. He ensured that his children knew of his homeland, learned its language, and the culture that touched his heart.

It is in this spirit that we remember Nick Sajko, a true immigrant success story, and a source of strength to his family and friends until the end.

Nick will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 58 years, Mary, by his three sons, Geno (Lisa Murphy), Wayne (Linda Furze) and Paul (Colette Robitaille), and by his beloved grandchildren, Nicholas, Jacob and Laurel, who meant the entire world to him, their “Deda”.

He will also be missed by sisters Katica and Anica in Croatia, and many nieces and nephews. Nick was predeceased by his mother, father, and brother in Croatia.

Arrangements have been entrusted to J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax. Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 3-5 pm on Saturday April 4th at the funeral home.

A celebration of life and funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am, Monday, April 6th at St. Benedict’s Parish, 45 Radcliffe Drive, Halifax. Fr. James Mallon officiating. Reception to follow. Private family interment to follow.

As expressions of sympathy and in lieu of flowers, donations to the QEII Foundation - Medical Day Unit, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, or a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family.

Sincerest thanks to Drs. Saha, Layton, and Shivakumar, staff at the VG Med-Day Unit, and Dr. Mallery and her colleagues at the PATH program of the QEII Health Sciences Centre. Your kindnesses and support during Nick’s final illness were a source of strength for the family and will never be forgotten.

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