Slavka Ivancich, 83, passed away on Saturday, February 4, 2023 in Belvidere, Illinois. Born on April 1, 1937 in Mandjelos, Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia to father Drago and mother Sofija Barjaktarević. Memory eternal.

Dearly beloved wife of Alexander Ivancich; Loving mother of Danilo (Rebecca) Ivancich and Rajko (Erin) Ivancich; Proud grandmother of Marko (Sophia) Ivancich and Aleksander Ivancich.

Slavka married Alexander Ivancich on June 25, 1964 in Belgrade, Serbia. After the marriage, Slavka had to wait a year to immigrate to the USA, arriving in 1965. She became a naturalized US citizen in 1992.

Slavka’s kind and generous heart will be sorely missed by numerous other family members and dear friends in the Fatherland, the USA and worldwide.

Opelo (Serbian Orthodox Funeral Service) to be officiated by Fr. Miloš Živković, will take place on Friday, February 10, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Ascension Serbian Orthodox Church, 4301 W. Riverside Boulevard, Rockford, IL 61101.

Following Opelo, interment will take place at the Roscoe Township Willowbrook Cemetery, 12962 Willowbrook Road, Roscoe, IL 61073.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Center for Sight & Hearing in Slavka’s memory at 8038 Macintosh Lane, Rockford, IL 61107, telephone 815.332.6800.

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The Slavic word “Cлава” (“Slava”) means “Glory” or “Greatness”. The name Slavka is derived from this word and means “One who achieved greatness” or “One who achieved glory”. During her life, Slavka faced many great trails, but with incredible resilience she surmounted each successive challenge. In doing so, she achieved glory.

Before she was 4 years old, Slavka lost her hearing. It was one of her earliest memories. A year later, in April of 1941 the German-led Axis powers invaded Yugoslavia. Her family was forced to abandon their village and took shelter in mountains. The women in her family hid in the woods, while her brothers and father joined the Partisans to fight the Nazis and their Croatian collaborators. Throughout all this almost incomprehensible hardship, Slavka remained courageous and resilient. The Lord looked after her just as it says in Zechariah 2:5 says, “For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst."

Years later, Slavka found glory in athletics. She was a nationally renowned track and field athlete, and notably competed for the Yugoslavian national team at the 1957 8th International sports games of the deaf in Milan. When she left Yugoslavia in 1964 to move to the United States, she held the record for Javelin and 4x100m for the deaf in Yugoslavia. She arrived in the US in glory.

Slavka became a wife, and shortly thereafter a mother. She was also a model immigrant. Despite never hearing a spoken word of English, she not only learned to read and write English, but she also learned to speak it and to read lips in English. This is a testament to intelligence and her ability to overcome challenges. While a foreigner, she did not remain a stranger in a strange land but raised two sons to become successful, hardworking, and moral men. Again finding glory.

But Slavka knew her work was not done. She became a grandmother when I was born in 1996 and has loved on me, prayed for me, guided me, encouraged me, and celebrated me from the day I was born to her last breaths this past week. She did the same for my younger brother. My brother is a now a successful electrical engineer helping to keep society running in times of uncertainty by manufacturing generators and I am the first physician in my family. Through us she has achieved glory.

While my grandma’s time on earth has finished and she has moved on to be with her family who has passed on before her, her glory will continue to live on through those of us that share her DNA, but also through everyone else who knew her and was loved by her. More importantly, she has achieved eternal glory though Christ. Colossians 3:4 says, When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

А кад се јави Христос, ваш живот, тада ћете се и ви с њим јавити у слави

Marko Ivancich, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin
President of Cranium Crew Concussion Advocacy Group