Savo Tomo Kopun

Savo was born on March 5, 1936 to Anđa and Tomo Kopun in the small village of Šodolovci in Yugoslavia. He was the youngest of 5 siblings. At the age of 16 years, he joined the Yugoslavian Air Force where he served for 20 years. As father and grandfather, he enjoyed sharing stories of his days in the Air Force.

He married Kristina Mateljan on September 14, 1957, the best decision he ever made. They lived in Velika Gorica, Croatia where their son, Predrag, was born and then in Brežice, Slovenia where their daughter, Tatjana, was born. On July 20, 1971 he moved his family to Omaha, NE in the United States where his sister, Mara and her family lived.

He was a member of St. Nicolas Serbian Orthodox church in Omaha, NE for many years and had many friends there. His three grandchildren, Alex, Gabe and Sarah were all born in Omaha. He lived in Omaha, as did his children, grandchildren and three great-grandchildren for the remainder of his life. We shared many holidays and celebrations, including two Christmases and Easters (Serbian Orthodox and American), chicken dinners, ethnic events, graduations, weddings and births of children over the years. We ate many turkeys, dumpling soups, steaks, gibanica, palačinke, poppy seed strudels and cakes in the home he shared with Kristina in Bellevue, NE. Sadly, on September 15, 2012 we lost Kristina to cancer. While this was devastating for the whole family, Savo showed us all how resilient he was. He learned to cook for himself, care for his home and built new friendships which sustained him for many more years.

Savo never met a stranger. He always had a smile and a greeting for everyone. He made friends wherever he went and he was careful to express gratitude for the care he received over the years. I remember asking a resident in his assisted living facility if they knew Savo and wasn’t surprised to hear them say “Everybody knows Savo!” He loved jokes and told them in English and in Serbian to anyone who would listen.

He was a hard worker. He held a variety of jobs and always gave his best. He was a laundry worker, packing plant laborer, a bartender, and a custodian. No job was beneath him if it meant that he could use it to support his family. He was a strong person and enjoyed showing off his powerful handshake, even as his health deteriorated.

Savo always liked to look good. He often wore a dress shirt and pants for dinner in assisted living and always wore a hat when possible. In the last year of his life, he could always be identified by the red and black plaid Husker fedora that he proudly wore.

Savo left us on August 23, 2022. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Kristina Kopun; parents, Anđa (Jakšić) and Tomo Kopun; and siblings. He was survived by his son Predrag “PK” (Judy) Kopun; daughter Tatjana (John) Sutej; grandchildren Alex (Jenny) Kopun, Gabriel (Lyndsey) Kopun, Sarah Kopun; great-grandchildren Emma and Hudson Kopun (children of Gabriel and Lyndsey Kopun), and Carter Kopun (son of Alex and Jenny Kopun); and nieces, cousins and many friends.

Savo enriched the lives of his family, friends and associates with love and laughter. We will miss you. Volim Te, Savo!

A visitation for Savo will be held Thursday, September 1, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home, 5701 Center St, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. A funeral service will occur Friday, September 2, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home.

Savo will be laid to rest in Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park, 5701 Center St, Omaha, Nebraska 68106.

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