Obituary of DRAGO BRANKOVIC

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Drago Brankovic. He passed surrounded by family at Grace Hospital after a lengthy illness with dementia.

Drago leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Bozena who cared for him to the end. Drago leaves behind his children, Marta and Zoran, along with their spouses, Wojciech and Raynah and grandchildren, Kainoah, Jakub, Jack and Neveah. He is also survived by his older sister, Milica, nephew Milan, along with numerous families in Montenegro, Poland and Canada.

Drago was predeceased by his parents, Jovan and Lubica, brothers Radovan and Djoko.

Dad was born at home in the mountain village of Gluhi Do, Montenegro. He was second born out of 5, but more importantly the oldest son which is a great honour in his culture. Growing up, Drago was mischievous and always getting into trouble. He regularly whipped his older sister with a tree branch and fought other kids for fun. Drago went to school until grade 9. He served in the military which was mandatory and drove a tank. He had to grow up fast to help out and contribute to the household after his parents separated. Dad was proud of the fact that he helped build the family home with his earnings. He was a hard worker and dreamed of a life beyond what he knew.

In 1972, Drago was sponsored by his sister Milica and brother-in-law Bozo to come to Canada. He had a work visa and as long as one wanted to work, there were always jobs readily available. He began working on his second day in the country and had a variety of labour jobs. He enrolled in English classes where he met his life partner, Bozena and married after 3 weeks of courting. They were filled with promise, a strong bond and mutual goals. Mom and dad worked opposite shifts to ensure they had childcare and supported each other through those tough years of little earnings and small children. He overcame his notions of gender responsibilities and learned to cook and clean to make his home functional and well looked after.

Dad had a strong personality and made many friends over the years. Mom and dad lived full lives where they worked hard and played hard. There were many large dinner parties where mom and dad hosted a full house or went to the beach or to the park with other families. There were lots of visits to Kildonan Park on the weekends where we would go skating, tobogganing or swimming.

Dad’s hobby was to fix Volkswagen vehicles and was a self taught autobody mechanic. He took an interest in rebuilding cars such as the beetle, golf, rabbit and a Volkswagen bus. He also liked to fix things around the house and became rather handy. Mom and dad flipped a home and were a team in the garden or painting the house. They did most things together. He loved his naps on the couch after a long day at work.

Dad retired after knee replacement surgery as it became difficult to walk long distances or stand for many hours at a time, such as his job at Motor Coach Industries. In retirement, dad enjoyed his grandchildren and took much joy in them. He travelled with mom to Europe, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico and Hawaii. They had many more trips planned before he became ill and was not able to fulfill his plans. He spent the last 3 years at home due to being wheelchair bound and slowly deteriorated further. Mom took great care of dad and fulfilled her promise to him to do just that. Home Care workers who attended the home 4 times a day were appreciated for their services to Drago and his family. He is now at peace and we will not forget him.