Jasmina Wellinghoff

Jasmina was the “heartbeat” of her family—affectionate, kind, and loving. She loved the arts and was always up for a lively discussion, whether about the latest happenings around town or world affairs.

She was born on April 11, 1944, in Belgrade, Serbia (former Yugoslavia), to Djuza Radović, a prolific and well-known writer, and Radmila Veljković, who loved to travel and experience other cultures. She often spoke fondly of her homeland which she recently visited with her family.

She was raised and educated internationally, attending schools in Yugoslavia, France, Italy, and the United States, and spoke multiple languages. She moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she published several scientific papers. At Case she met her husband, Stephen, who was also in her graduate school program, and they married shortly thereafter.

Jasmina Wellinghoff was an award-winning journalist, critic, and columnist with more than 40 years of experience covering the arts, health and medicine, social issues, and business. She authored thousands of articles and critical reviews published in San Antonio, state, national, and international media outlets. She was known for her strong advocacy of accuracy in reporting and fairness in opinion journalism and believed that an unbiased, knowledgeable press is an essential part of a well-functioning society.

She served as Associate Editor and Arts Columnist for San Antonio Woman magazine, was a performing arts reviewer for the San Antonio Express-News, and a book columnist for the online magazine On The Town Ezine. In recognition of her contributions to the cultural and literary life of San Antonio, she received the 2006 Arts and Letters Award from the San Antonio Public Library. She also earned numerous journalism honors from organizations including Texas Press Women, the National Federation of Press Women, the Society of Professional Journalists, and Women in Communications.

While serving as theater critic for the San Antonio Light, Jasmina founded the Alamo Theater Arts Council, an organization dedicated to recognizing excellence in theater production and performance. Its highest honor, the Jasmina Wellinghoff Award, was named in her recognition.

In addition to her work in journalism, she was a published poet and poetry editor. She served as editor and publisher of Yellow Flag Poems, a distinctive anthology created during the pandemic years that featured prominent local, Texas, and U.S. poets, including eight poet laureates. She was the founder and editor of Arts Alive San Antonio: artsalivesa.com, an online publication dedicated to supporting the local arts.

She is survived by her husband of fifty-two years, Stephen Wellinghoff, Ph.D.; her daughter, Vanessa Wellinghoff, M.D., son, Nicholas Wellinghoff, and two grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 18, at 12:30 PM at the chapel of Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Rd, San Antonio, TX 78238. The service will be led by Very Reverend Stavrophor Father Dragoljub Popovich of St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church in Austin, as family and friends gather in remembrance, prayer, and reflection to honor her life and legacy.

A celebration of life reception will follow at 3:00 PM at the San Antonio Art League + Museum, 130 King William St, San Antonio, TX 78204. All are welcome to join the Wellinghoff family for light bites and drinks as they share memories and celebrate her life together.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Luke Serbian Orthodox (www.stlukeaustn.org), Alamo Theatre Arts Council (www.atac-sa.org) or the San Antonio Art League + Museum (saalm.org).