Predrag Golumbovski

Predrag Golumbovski, age 85, beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away peacefully on January 16, 2023. He was born on Sept. 28, 1937, an only child to the late Zivan and Branka (Subotic) Golumbovski and grew up in Belgrade, Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia).

Following college he moved to Paris, France and then in 1967 immigrated to the United States as a post-graduate student at Northwestern University earning his doctorate in metallurgy. There he joined the chess club, winning numerous chess tournaments. He could often be found in his free time with a small chess set in his lap playing out chess moves from games in the newspaper. Throughout his 30-year career as a metallurgical engineer, Predrag was dedicated to his field of science and greatly enjoyed deciphering difficult math equations and word problems.

On April 21, 1973, he married Zora Mrksich and together they raised their two children, Olga and Marko, in Lincolnwood, Illinois. Predrag was a devoted father who never missed his children’s sports games, was a consistent presence in ensuring they practiced their instruments and was always available to play tennis or throw the ball and frisbee whenever he could. He was also a prominent member of Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois where he regularly volunteered and taught Serbian school every Sunday for almost a decade.

Predrag was an ardent sports fan; the Chicago Cubs and Bears were his favorite teams. But, it was watching tennis that stoked his heart. He was especially proud of his Serbian countryman, Novak Djokovic, and followed his career extensively, keeping a log of all of Novak’s tennis matches and scores.

Beginning in 2004, Predrag and Zora built and moved into their second home in North Port, FL where they enjoyed their retirement years by being active in their local church, swimming in the hot springs and connecting with friends. Predrag was overjoyed when he welcomed his first grandchild, Tyler, in 2010, and then later, AJ, Melina and Nikola. A doting grandpa, he enjoyed rocking his grandkids to sleep, sharing stories of his youth, attending birthday parties and cheering their sports from the sidelines. Due to his declining health, Predrag and Zora recently relocated to Hawthorn Woods, Illinois to live with their daughter’s family. Predrag’s calm presence, mischievous sense of humor and devotion to his family will be greatly missed.

Predrag is survived by his wife, Zora; daughter Olga (Mario) Santoscoy; son Marko (Zoki) Golumbovski and grandchildren Tyler and Adrian Santoscoy and Melina and Nikola Golumbovski.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 4-9 p.m. with eulogies at 7 p.m. at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 941 S. Old Rand Road, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 26 at 11 a.m. at Serbian Orthodox Diocese of New Gracanica Midwestern America, 35249 West Grant Avenue, Third Lake, IL 60046.