Rođena:15.11.1929. (Kostelsko, Hrvatska)
Preminula:11.03.2024. (Los Angeles, Kalifornija, Sjedinjene Američke Države)
Dob: 94
Our dear Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother, a.k.a.,“Baka” Barbara (Barica) Malkoc, passed away peacefully at 1:28 p.m., Monday, March 11, 2024, at her daughter’s home in Bountiful, Utah, where she has been living for the past 10 years. She was 94 and lived a long full life.
Barica was born on November 15, 1929, in Kostelsko, Pregrada, Croatia. (Zagorje) She was the middle child out of seven siblings, born to Vilma and Dragutin Bele. She was raised on her family’s farm during the depression. As a teenager, she helped support her family by traveling to the city of Zagreb on the weekends and selling eggs at the city street market.
She eventually moved to Zagreb to start a career in nursing. She got a job at “Vinogradska Bolnica,” the largest general hospital in Croatia, and worked in the neonatal unit. She later worked for the Red Cross.
It was in Zagreb that she met Mel (Zivko) Malkoc. They married on February 6, 1965 and welcomed a daughter 11 months later.
Yearning for the American dream, in the summer of 1974, they moved their three member family to Los Angeles, California, where her brother and sister lived.
With nothing but their suitcases full of personal belongings, they started a new life. Barbara continued to work as a nurse in convalescent homes. A year later they bought a house in Temple City. Some years after that, they opened up a family dry cleaning business. Barbara took pride in running her own shop. She spent her senior years working as a pre-school teacher, in a two-year-old class, in Rosemead.
After she retired, and her husband passed away, she came to live with her daughter in Utah. Our legendary “Baka” was very much loved by her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren, who all took an active role in caring for her for the last 10 years of her life, allowing her to be a “ stay at home Baka.” She entertained friends and family with her goofy antics and silly shenanigans.
She loved to sing and dance to Croatian music and listen to her husband play the accordion. She loved to pick flowers and drink red wine. Eating fruit after every meal and jogging laps after dinner was a staple for good health.
We are so grateful she lived to be 94! With so many close calls, we joked she had nine lives! She was strong and she was a fighter. You didn’t mess with Baka! All 4 foot 10 of her!
Proceeded in death by her husband, Mel Malkoc, mother, and father, Vilma, and Dragutin Bele, siblings, Pepica, Drago, Slavika, Milka, Matilda, (Tilika) and Mirko.
She is survived by her daughter, Margarett, her grandkids, Phillip (Sandy), Brandon, Tadiana, and Tiffany, and her great grandkids, Jayci, Layla and Royce.
She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marija Bele, her nephews, Mario, Johnny, Tommy (Julie and Mali Tomi)
In Canada, she is survived by her niece, Nada (Seka) Romek, and her two sons Nenad and Sasha, and her niece-in-law, Neda.
In Croatia, she is survived by nephews and nieces Franci (Ljubica), Cedo and (Nada) Bele, Mirjana Surbek, and her children Marjan, Gordana, Dubravko, Darijo, Marina, Mario, Dejan, Sinisa, Goran and Tina.
A service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 15th, at Turner and Stevens Live Oak Mortuary Chapel. 200 E. Duarte Rd., Monrovia. Graveside burial, following.
Visitation and viewing will be at 10:00 a.m.
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