Ratko Stisevic

Ratko Stisevic, 95, passed away Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at Terrace Nursing Home in Waukegan. He was born April 16, 1919 in Yugoslavia and came to live in the U.S. in Berwyn in 1951 and had been a Waukegan resident for the past 6 years. Ratko was the last of eleven children and after his parents died he was raised by his older brother. He joined the military and due to WWII, his time was extended in the Yugoslavian Army. In 1941 Ratko was captured by the Germans and transferred to the Italian soldiers and eventually forced to work in the coal mines for 10-12 hours a day. He tried to escape to Switzerland but was again captured by the Germans and this time severely beaten and sent to the hospital and then to solitary confinement for 4 months. After the Americans advanced and liberated the camp he met his late wife, Katharina and married in 1947 and soon had their first child, Brigitte. They immigrated to the U.S. in 1951 and he worked as an exceptional carpenter with incredible woodworking skills. He often used his skills to build or fix things at the church or monastery he was a member of and also made many crosses for the numerous funerals of his fellow serbs. He was a founding member of the Old Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Church, and other organizations such as Serbian National Defense, Serbian Brothers Help, Chetnik Organizations and currently a member of New Gracanica Monastery. Ratko enjoyed tending bar, barbequing lamb or pig, selling tickets or helping with the newspaper of the Monastery, the Diocesan Observer. Surviving are his wife, Milica; his 4 children, Brigitte (George) Savic, Henrietta (Joe) Tackett, Christine (Nikola) Krcadinac and Michael (Vicki) Stisevic; by 4 grandchildren, Gus, Alexa, Dusan and Jovan; and by a step son, Dusan and his family. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Katharina in 1993 and also by his daughter, Katherine in 1956. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December 28, 2014 at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, 120 W. Park Ave. (Rt. 176, one block west of Milwaukee Ave.) in Libertyville where the Pomen service will be held at 5:00 p.m. Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday at New Gracanica Monastery and Cemetery in Third Lake. For info: 847-362-3009 or sign the guestbook at www.burnettdane.com.

Ratko Stisevic

April 16, 1919 - December 24, 2014