Dr. Vladimir Vlaovic

My Vlad

Vladimir was born on June 7, 1982, in Serbia. He came to Canada as a young boy with his parents. He embraced his new environment and became fluent in English very fast. During his school in Hamilton, ON and Winnipeg, MB he was continually in classes for gifted children.

Vlad attended the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where is obtained an MA in Philosophy. His MA Thesis “Utility Comparisons Naturalized” was defended in August 2006; his advisor was Dr. Timothy Schroeder. For this work he was awarded prestigious financial scholarships: the Department of Advanced Education and Training, the Manitoba Government’s Manitoba Graduate Scholarship, as well as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) the CGSM research grant.

Following that he was accepted and awarded financial assistance at the Ivy League Brown University in the USA, where he studied and obtained his Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2013. His Dissertation was “Normative Reality: Heavy-Duty Realism and the Expressivist Challenge”; his Thesis Advisor was Dr. James Drier.

Vlad presented a paper, titled “Negation and Normative Belief”, in 2012 at The American Philosophical Association Pacific Division’s 86th Annual Meeting and the Commentator was Neil Sinclair, from the University of Nottingham.

In addition, Vladimir contributed his work to the following books: “Three Faces of Desire” by Dr. Timothy Schroeder; “In Praise of Desire” by Dr. Nomy Arpaly and Dr. Timothy Schroeder; and “Underivative Duty: British Moral Philosophers from Sidgwick to Ewing”, by Thomas Hurka, in Robert Shaver’s Chapter.

Vladimir enjoyed teaching and was rated as the best teacher at Brown University with 100% rating, being liked and appreciated by all students.

His passion was Martial Arts: Jiu Jitsu and boxing. He was a member of the American Boxing Association.

Vladimir was also a very talented artist; he was accepted in the School of Art at the University of Manitoba, but declined and instead devoted many years to studying philosophy. He volunteered at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Algoma after moving to the Sault three years ago.

His wit and sense of humor will never be forgotten. He was liked by many friends and colleagues in Manitoba and the USA. His premature death on January 21, 2023, the result of an underlying medical condition, was sudden and unexpected. It will leave a permanent void in the lives of people who loved him, especially his mom Jasmina Jovanovic.

Prof. Nomy Arpaly wrote “Vlad was unforgettable”, and his Advisor and friend Dr. Timothy Schroeder said: “He was absolutely outstanding. Outstanding enough that every one of his philosophy professors hoped he would want a Ph.D. in philosophy and go on to become a professor. A few of our students went on to such careers around those times, but Vlad was the smartest, the most precise, the most insightful, and the clearest of them all, without question.”

Vlad had very loving grandparents who adored him, supported him, and guided him during his formative years. He was very close to them. They would have been devastated if they were still with us. Vlad’s father is deceased as well.

His loving mom and his cousins in Europe will forever be heart broken. We love you Vlad more than you could have imagined and will love you every day for the rest of our lives!

Donations are welcome for the Dr. Vladimir Vlaovic Memorial Fund at the Art Gallery of Algoma for the Collection Program. Donations can be made by cheque to the Art Gallery of Algoma with a note “donation to the Dr. V. Vlaovic Memorial Fund”. Alternatively, donations can be made by phone 705-949-9067 or in person at the Gallery.

The Celebration of Life will be held at the Art Gallery of Algoma, 10 East Street, Sault Ste. Marie, on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at 4 pm, with the sharing of memories at 5 pm. Susan Myers will be the MC of the event.

His mom is very grateful for the amazing support of friends and family from Europe, the USA and across Canada during these extremely difficult times.

Arrangements entrusted to Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. East, 705-759-2522).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Vlaovic family.