Ivo (Ivica) Ababovic was born November 18 1954 in Sarajevo former Yugoslavia now Bosnia and Herzegovina, died November 3 2018 in Rochester, New York.
After three years of battling with glioblastoma, an incurable brain tumor, Ivo died peacefully in a wonderful comfort care home, Benincasa, in Mendon, New York.
Ivo was born in the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. He was an excellent soccer player, swimmer and a skier and overall an athlete. He earned a degree in Physical Education and taught in High Schools in Sarajevo until the war 1992. Ivo believed in a diverse and multi-cultural society, the one he grew up with in Sarajevo, and when the war started, he volunteered in Bosnian territorial defense to protect his city. For four years he and his family lived under the siege with little food or water, no power and only in 1995 he left the city.
Ivo truly believed in the ‘American Dream’ and coming to the USA as a refugee he wanted to achieve the best for his family and himself. He appreciated the independent American spirit and he worked almost from the moment he and his family arrived in Rochester and continued to work until he was unable to. In Rochester, Ivo loved the outdoors; camping, fishing, boating and the enjoying the quiet. His love for soccer and comradery was punctuated by his lifelong friends at the Italian American soccer club. Without their support and love, he wouldn’t have been able to battle his cancer for as long as he did.
Ivo leaves behind his two sons Andrej (Betsy) and Adrian Ababovic, his sister Jelka Radic with her family and extended family in Bosnia. He will be remembered by his former wife, Marjana Vrebac-Ababovic, his “second family” – Mike and Gus Savidis, his soccer friends, his Sarajevo childhood friend Branko Sakotic, his best college friend Sead Sokolovic and many others.
Ivo’s celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 3 pm to 6 pm at Italian American Sports Club, 1250 Buffalo Rd, Rochester NY.