December 30, 1950 – February 6, 2023
Milijana Djordjevic – 72, passed away on February 6, 2023. Milijana was born to Proko and Buda Vukomanovic in Novi Pazar (Vitoš village), Serbia.
While still a child, she moved with her family to Kraljevo, Serbia, which is where she ultimately spent her youth and went to school. After high school, she became a professional barber in Kraljevo.
In 1969, she married Dragan Djordjevic. Shortly after marriage, they moved to Montbeliard, France. This is where her first child, Danilo was born in 1971.
In 1973, they immigrated to the United States where they made Kenosha, Wisconsin their home. Milijana started working at American Motors company (later became Chrysler) in Kenosha that same year. She had various job functions there as an auto worker, building automobiles. In 1976, Milijana’s daughter, Olivera was born. After the shutdown of the auto assembly plants in Kenosha, WI, Milijana went back to being a hairdresser. The family moved to Mesa, Arizona in 1990. In 1997, she was called back to Chrysler where she returned to work, retiring in 2007. Retirement got a little boring for her so she went back to being a hairdresser and worked at Supercuts part-time.
Milijana’s greatest joy in life was becoming a grandmother in 2008 when her granddaughter, Jelena was born. Then in 2016, her granddaughter, Emilija was born. Being a grandmother is what she absolutely cherished most. Her granddaughters made her world go round.
Milijana was a very hardworking woman. She loved her family more than anything and always put them first. You would always find her in the kitchen preparing food while making it a point to cater to her granddaughters, which she loved to do. Loved taking her girls to the parks, to the pool, picking them up from school. She loved to go shopping. She had a sense of humor and loved to joke around with everyone. She was always there at the drop of a hat, always supportive, always caring, always helpful, always loving.
Milijana will be sorely missed by so many. For her children, she was the rock, the glue, the heart, the pulse of the family. She was a fighter until the very end and she fought hard. They are proud to have had her on this earth and into eternity as their Mama. Her absence from this earth leaves a gaping hole with all of those who loved her and who were so lucky to have her. She will most definitely live on in their hearts and memories. Milijana wasn’t just a Mama and a Baba…she was a best friend, she was home.
Milijana is preceded in death by her father Proko, her brother Aleksandar, her sister Milica. She is survived by her son Danilo, her daughter Olivera with her husband Bryan, her granddaughters Jelena and Emilija, her sister Stojana, her mother Buda and many other family members and friends.
Fly high our beautiful Angel…until we meet again.
Viewing and church service for Milijana will be on Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 9:00am – 11:00am at:
St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
4436 E. McKinley Street
Phoenix, AZ 85008
For those who wish to attend, the burial will follow after church service and we will drive to:
Mountain View Cemetery
7900 E. Main Street
Mesa, AZ 85207
