October 23rd, 1935 - May 16th, 2018
It is with profound sadness that our family announces the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother and dear friend Zorka Bosnjak (nee Jakovcic). Zorka, also known as “Baba” was born in Naklice, Croatia on the Adriatic coast. She was the youngest of five sisters and three brothers. At the age of 27 she immigrated to Canada and married her lifelong love Joe. Baba spent the majority of her life in New Westminster, in and around the Queen’s Park neighbourhood. She worked at both the YMCA and the Royal Towers Hotel on 6th Street for many years. She enjoyed travelling each summer to Croatia to visit her family. She loved to exercise at the Canada Games Pool and she jogged and participated in 5k runs well into her late 60’s and early 70’s. She truly enjoyed cooking, having once appeared on a local TV program making her world-famous “Soparnik”, a rare Croatian delicacy. She was known to always have a pot of dumpling soup on the stove, ready for her grandchildren after school. After 47 years of devoted marriage, she now rejoins her beloved husband Joe who passed in 2009. Everything she did was motivated by love of her husband, children and grandchildren. Her greatest moments of happiness in her life came from spending time with her grandchildren and she was extremely proud to have witnessed their growth into fine caring young adults. Zorka will be sadly missed by her sons Boris and Emil (Heather); and her step-daughter Nada. She is also survived by five grandchildren: Natasha, Tiana, Mercutio, Adriana and Horatio. A Prayer Service will be held at 7:00pm, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Croatian Catholic Church, at 3105 East 1st Ave., Vancouver. The Funeral Mass will be held the following day at 11:00am, Thursday, May 24, 2018 also at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Burial will follow thereafter at Forest Lawn Cemetery at 3789 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby. Zorka passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with Alzheimers. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimers Society of BC.
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