Mihailo “Jole” Jovanovic, 81, of Kenosha WI, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, July 31st, 2024.
He was born on January 23rd, 1943, to the late Milutin and Jagodinka Jovanovic in the beautiful city of Aleksinac, Serbia. There he successfully achieved his education and proudly served in the Yugoslav military.
In 1972, at the age of 29, he immigrated to the United States to accompany his mother and father who relocated here after World War II.
It was here he met and married his wonderful wife Ljiljana in June of 1978.
Mihailo spent over 30 years working for the Chrysler Corporation where he held various roles both in the Kenosha assembly plant and the Milwaukee parts distribution facility until his well deserved retirement in 2008.
He was a devoted member of St George Serbian Orthodox Church in Racine, WI, where he spent time on the church council and was always first to volunteer whenever an opportunity presented itself to help the church.
Mihailo’s greatest passion was undoubtably soccer (Fudbal). You could easily find him cheering on his favorite soccer team, FK Partizan, or proudly excepting his plaque in 2018 after he was inducted in the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame. He had an absolute brilliant career playing Center Half Defender starting at a very young age and continuing to play competitively into his mid-50s.
Outside of soccer, Mihailo’s other passions included poker games with his closest friends, watching his favorite tennis player Novak Djokovic, playing bocce ball at the American Serb Hall, and most importantly spending time with his family.
Mihailo is survived by his loving wife Ljiljana, his loving son Milutin Jovanovic, his loving daughter Mirjana (Chris) Lahti, and his loving grandchildren Milliana Jovanovic and Viktorija Lahti.
He was preceded in death by his parents Milutin and Jagodinka Jovanovic.
Funeral Services for Mihailo will be held on Wednesday, August 7th at 9:00 a.m. at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church (6108 Braun Road, Racine). Interment will follow at St. Sava Cemetery, Libertyville IL. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 6th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Bruch Funeral Home.
