DANE POKRAJAC 

Dane Pokrajac, a former United Auto Workers union steward and loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away July 26, 2024, just shy of his 94th birthday.  Dane’s incredible mind and strong, warm-hearted spirit remained plainly in evidence his entire life up through when he passed away surrounded by his family last Friday.

Dane was born in 1930 in the village of Raduc, Lika County, Croatia in the former Yugoslavia. Dane grew up with his mother Boja , brothers Ilija  and Jovan , and sister Neda  in their village in the shadow of the Velebit Mountains as his father Dane  worked in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania to bring the family to America. Dane’s roots in Aliquippa go back well over a hundred years to when his grandfather first came to work in Aliquippa’s steel mills, one of many Serbs who forged the coming American Century in the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania.

Dane endured great tragedy at a young age when war broke out with the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. After losing his home and his brother Ilija, Dane lived for four years through a hellish civil war enveloped within a global conflict that brought German, Italian, Croatian, Partisan, and Chetnik forces through the idyllic mountainside he called home. Along with his family, and the family of his childhood friend Mara Pejnovic, Dane survived those four years in the Velebit Mountains. He often spoke of how narrowly he escaped death and how lucky he was to survive past adolescence.

Following the war, Dane served as a police officer in Yugoslavia for six years before immigrating to America. In 1958, he and Mara joined Dane’s father just outside of Aliquippa in Monaca, Pennsylvania where Dane’s father built and operated a general store.

Dane and Mara then moved to Gary, Indiana where Dane became a union steward for the United Auto Workers at the Budd Company automotive plant. With so many from the former Yugoslavia working at the plant, Dane proved invaluable in resolving disputes between employees and the company and helping his fellow workers obtain their part of the American dream. His fair-minded and gentlemanly approach earned him universal respect from everyone he met; he had an uncommon ability to explain his side of an issue while always maintaining respect and courtesy towards the other.

It was in the Glen Park neighborhood of Gary that Dane and Mara raised their son Ned  and daughter Milena. Through their hard work and sacrifice, Dane and Mara built a storybook life for their family that was filled with activity, including baseball games, music, and church dances; and put their children through college—something they could only have dreamed of when they were young.

Part of a generation that believed in community and making sacrifice for the benefit of posterity, Dane and Mara devoted substantial time and energy to the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church. In addition to helping with numerous Church events and fundraisers, Dane served on the Church Board, including during the construction of the Church building in Hobart after fire destroyed the Church’s previous location in Gary. Dane also served for many years as President of the local order of the Organization of Serbian Chetniks Ravna Gora. Always cognizant of the great sacrifices made during the war, Dane was sure to remind his family and community of the incredible story that brought them here.

In the 1980s, Dane’s job at the Budd Company plant was eliminated as globalization wreaked havoc on the American auto industry. This was, however, a blessing in disguise, as it came just before Dane’s grandchildren were born and allowed Dane to spend the next four decades imparting his love and wisdom upon them. Dane made priceless memories with his grandchildren in the years that followed, getting to see a number of sporting events and graduations and travel with his grandchildren across the country. He even lived to become a great-grandfather to two beautiful great-granddaughters.

Dane led a remarkable life that cannot be described adequately in words or pictures. He endured unimaginable challenges and persevered through unthinkable tragedy. He experienced unadulterated hatred, yet lived with endless love and compassion. He loved sharing stories, jokes, and perspectives with everyone. He cherished nature, especially the cherry tree planted by his father. He valued learning, patience, and a job well done. He enjoyed 70 years of marriage with his wife Mara. He was a chess champion and taught the game to his grandchildren. He helped build a family, a community, and a country where the middle class thrived. He was the epitome of the Greatest Generation.

Dane is survived by his wife Mara; daughter Milena and son-in-law Nick; grandchildren Marko, Marissa, Nina, Dean, and Nick; great-grandchildren Mia and Nora; nieces Neda, Jovanka, and Sladjana and nephews Danilo, Dusko, Jovica, Nick, and Milan. Through his grateful family and friends, his memory lives on. Vecnaja Pamjat.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 1, 2024 at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, Indiana with V. Rev Marko Matic officiating. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. with funeral service beginning at noon. Following interment at Calumet Park Cemetery, the family invites all to St. Sava for a luncheon in memory of Dane. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dane’s memory may be made to St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church (www.saintsava.net/donate). For further information please contact Mileva or David at Calumet Park Funeral Chapel (219) 736-5840.