On Monday, December 8, 2025, Marina (nee Goronja) Malich, (85), of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, passed on to meet Christ her Lord.

She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years, the late V. Rev. Dragoljub C. Malich.

She is survived by her daughter Kristina Gacesa, and her children Jelena (Sean) Ribery and Marko Gacesa, and her grandchildren Tejadora, Emilia, and Tomo Ribery, and Gabriel and Anna Gacesa.

She is also survived by her son Alexandar and beloved daughter-in-law Zora Malich, a true caregiver, and their children Philip, Luke and Sophia Malich.

She is also survived by her son Nicholas (Jennifer) Malich, and their children Mateja, Marija, Anna, and Katerina.

She also leaves behind sisters-in-law Milena (+Dragan) Crnogorac and Desa (+Tomo) Radonjic, and a plethora of nieces, nephews, their families, in-laws, kumovi and friends.She was predeceased by her parents Milan and Danica (Lejic) Goronja and all of her siblings: Mira (Vladimir) Matavulj, Dragan (Marija) Goronja, Branislava (Dusan) Gusa, Smilja (Marko) Kotur, Olivera Goronja, Danica (Nikola) Sobot, infant Zora, Bozidar (Radojka) Goronja, and Vojislava Goronja.

Her legacy is a sweet one, carried forward by every life that she touched. Beauty, charm, wisdom and grace were her hallmarks. People loved her.

Born in Gradiska Na Savi, in what is today the Serb Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina (Republika Srpska) but was then the Royal Kingdom of Yugoslavia, she lived through Nazi invasion and occupation of her homeland, in later years recounting the fear that she experienced during those dangerous times when her family was separated. Her father and four siblings were in the woods fighting for the Allied resistance, while she stayed behind with her mother who tended to the other five children.

When the war broke out she still had three living grandparents but they were all targeted and perished in the holocaust along with all of her uncles, who were herded into a concentration camp and killed, while she, her parents and siblings survived by moving to Serbia on the very eve of the Nazi invasion, being warned by neighbors that her father, a prominent detective and author, was on the enemy’s hit list.

The wartime years were immediately followed by the rise of the communist regime, when unfamiliar men routinely questioned her about her father’s whereabouts. As a frightened child, she would often climb her favorite tree in the park to find safety and solitude, watching the uncertain world unfold below.

But freedom and security ultimately beckoned and in 1962 she emigrated to the United States with the assistance of extended family that had settled in Milwaukee at the turn of the last century. There she reunited with her soon-to-be husband, newly graduated from seminary and himself a political refugee.

During his pasturage, her husband served the parishes of St. Sava Cathedral in Milwaukee, WI, St. George Church in Farrell (today’s Hermitage) PA, St. Luke Church in Potomac, MD (then Washington, DC), and from 1969 until his retirement 49 years later, and even a bit beyond, the St. Nicholas Church in Wilmerding which moved to Monroeville, PA in 1971.

During this entire time she faithfully, with great poise and charisma, fulfilled her role as Priest’s wife, Popadija in Serbian, later elevated to the title of Protinica when her husband was promoted to a higher rank of priesthood.

It was a time when parishes looked to the Priest’s wife to stand out as a public figure who reflected their values and represented their congregation in the wider community, and although she appreciated today’s more modern approach of private life in a private home for the priest and his family, she fit this role perfectly.

Excelling in the culinary arts, she hosted many dignitaries on behalf the Church, including Patriarchs, Hierarchs, Royalty, Senators, Members of Congress, ranking military leaders, judges, politicians, community leaders, clergy, board members, and parishioners, in her home, serving as the Parish Home hostess for each congregation served by her husband, the greater Serbian Orthodox Church, and the American Serb Community.

In this she excelled.

She offered a smile, compassion and comfort to everyone who turned to her with their confidences and their sorrows, satisfied their need for a sympathetic ear, and, if they had any worries or grievances, in her they always found a faithful advocate.

During the early days of the Washington DC parish, then a mission established by her husband, she was the only Choir member, and she sang responses for all services. During these pioneer days of the congregation, she patiently flipped through each page of the Washington, DC White Pages to find every Serbian sounding name in the city, so that they could be called and welcomed to worship, she participated in putting together a Cook Book and Fashion Show for fund raising, and, all the while, due to inadequate mission funds, scrounged for silverware, furniture, and other household necessities at the local Salvation Army, a far cry from her upbringing in a family with means.

But she accepted these challenges out of love for God and duty to her Church and family.

The women in the parish expressed their love for her by naming the Circle of Serbian Sisters KSS “St. Marina”, in honor of her Patron in Heaven.

Many people fondly remember her famous “Sumadija Tea” (hot toddy) that she prepared for community Christmas Eve celebrations over the many decades. The beauty of the Slavski Kolac (Feast Bread) and Koljivo (memorial wheat) that she would prepare were marvels, as were her legendary chicken soup, sarma (stuffed cabbage), and old world tortes.

She also played a pivotal role as indispensable helpmate to her husband when he was inspired to leave the nation’s capital and move to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. A deep sense of purpose drove him to the St. Nicolas Parish, to rally and spiritually lead the good people of that community out of an impasse and into finally accomplishing their long held dream of building a larger and beautiful new edifice in up and coming Monroeville, and then later paying off its hefty mortgage within a decade. Their tireless work with the Church Board, committees, and generous and self-sacrificing Parish Family paid off and, with everyone pulling together in synergy with the Lord, this dream became reality.

Prior to emigrating to the new world, she worked as a telephone operator in Yugoslavia where she delighted in clandestinely sabotaging phone calls between the high Communist party officials who had stamped out freedoms and tried to stamp out God in her native land.

She praised the United States where no one put a label on her but everyone treated her as an equal person no matter what her origins, and where she was free to believe and do as she wished.

When the Bicentennial of her new American homeland was celebrated in 1976, it was her beautiful soprano voice that pierced through the loudest when the greater community gathered to sing “God Bless America” in Monroeville’s historic Old Stone Church.

She was proud to be a citizen.

She sang with the Choir, taught Junior Choir members, and trained Epistle readers in all the parishes that she served as well as in the Doylestown, Ohio Summer Camp, put together a St. Sava Play, and often sang solo responses during weekday Holy Day services in each parish.

She used her creative eye to put together the Serbian Cultural Displays for Pittsburgh Folk Festivals, and also for the Diocesan Celebration of America’s Bicentennial, as well as KSS Calendar Parties.

For many years she belonged to the St. Petka KSS of Monroeville which gave her an honorary position on its board, as well as Treasurer of the National Clergy Wive’s Association.

She was also a successful Sales Associate and received numerous awards for outstanding performance as an Area Selling Specialist, especially in the designer purse department, for Macy’s Department Store in Monroeville, and was even offered a promotion to Macy’s flagship store in NYC which she declined so that she could stay close to family.

She was a fierce defender of truth, justice, the American way, and her beloved Serbian people. Most importantly, she was a believer, and, with gratitude for everything that He had done for her, always put God first.

The family would like to thank Fr. Stefan Djoric for his guidance, love and many ministrations, her dearest friends, Beth Stiffler, Peggy Brozgol, and Janey Carsey, whose acts of kindness are too many to count, with special thanks to the talented men of Beth’s Church for all of the volunteer home repairs and handicap improvements that they provided to her when this became necessary, and the wonderful people of the St. Nicholas Parish as well as the surrounding Serbian Orthodox communities for all of the love and support which they always extended.

The family also expresses gratitude for the caring and excellent services provided by AHN Hospice and AGH Hospital.

Visitation will be on Fri., Dec. 12, 2025 from 2 to 4 PM and 6 to 8 PM, at the Alfieri Funeral Home, 201 Marguerite Ave., Wilmerding, PA 15148.

Memorial Pomen service will be served by Fr. Stefan Djoric at 7 PM at the Alfieri Funeral Home.

On Sat., Dec. 13, 2025, the Funeral Service will be served by Fr. Djoric and visiting clergy at the St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, 2110 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, PA, 15146, at 11 AM.

Dacha (Funeral Repast Meal) will be served immediately afterwards at the St. Nicholas Church Hall, Monroeville, PA catered by Emil's Lounge of Rankin, PA.

A memorial Pomen will be served by His Eminence, Metropolitan Longin of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gracanica-Midwestern America, Rev. Nikolaj Kostur, and other clergy on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 10:30 AM, at the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery, 32377 N IL Route 21, Libertyville, IL 60048, followed by burial in the Monastery Cemetery.

Dacha to follow at the Monastery of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God (New Gracanica), 35240 West Grant Ave., Third Lake, IL 60046, catered by the Monastery Circle of Serbian Sisters.

All arrangements are being made by the Alfieri Funeral Home in Wilmerding, PA with the assistance of Sveta Gora Funeral Home in Chicago, Illinois.

The family requests prayers for her Eternal Memory before the Lord, and suggests donations to the St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, 2110 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, PA 15146.

Slava joj to an outstanding woman.