Marie Koncar

MARIE KONCAR (nee Kosir) age 87, beloved wife of the late Florian; loving mother of John F. (Claudio Caviglia), Rosemarie Krivacic (Jeffrey), Thomas A. (Kim Miller), Angela M. Herbst (Charles) and the late Frank T. (Wendy); devoted grandmother of Nicholas Krivacic (Amanda), Kaitlin Niepokny (Nicholas), Stefani Latham (Demetrious, Jr.), Matthew, Aaron and Melissa Koncar, Tanya Sellers (Jason), Dawn and Ryan Miller; great grandmother of Cynthia, Demetrious, III, Elise, Carter, Jaden, Dylan, Mason, Jimmy, Hailey, Maryjane, Brielle and Judy; dearest sister of the late Sophie Falcone and Drago Kosir.

Marie Koncar was born in the Alpine village of Sodrazica, Slovenia near the place where the movie The Sound of Music was filmed.  The inhabitants of this remote town lived a nineteenth century life surrounded by nature’s extreme beauty.  They shared their resources and bartered the products of their labors; people helped each other.  Marie learned to sew and knit as a very young girl, a skill that served her into adulthood.  A simple life revolved around the village Catholic Church.  Later, she would work to obtain donations to support the renovation of this beloved building.  Her father Charles left for America after the First World War and labored in the Collinwood Brick in yards in Cleveland, Ohio to support his family in Slovenia and her mother was able to build a new house where it was hoped that they would all continue to live together.  Their dreams were shattered when the home was seized by the Partisan soldiers as World War Two spread its dark shadow, and in the space of an hour they were forced to leave with only those possessions they could carry.  The following years were spent in detention camps and Marie’s view of the world changed dramatically, leaving deep fears that haunted her throughout life.  Her sister Sophie fled to Italy and her brother Drago disappeared but later returned to claim the family home.  He became a well-known artist whose work brought great pride to Marie.  It was during her time in Austria that she met a handsome young soldier, Florian Koncar, with whom she fell in love, and who followed her and her mother to Cleveland.  He left his eight siblings and both parents to begin a new life.  They were married in Saint Vitus Church in Cleveland 1950.  Trained as a meat cutter, Florian worked tirelessly to support Marie, her mother and her sister Sophie, who later joined them with her son Robert, after they left Italy.  Sophie worked in the family business, Model Meat Market, located on East 200^th Street in Euclid; Marie managed a household which eventually included five children.  Her devotion to her husband, her children her faith and her European family knew no bounds.  She provided the model that defines her children.  Marie loved animals and always kept a dog, a cat, birds or fish and sometimes combinations of all of them.  She passed this love and respect for animals and plants on to her children.  As most Slovenian women of her generation, she held considerable skill in cooking and baking.  Every special occasion brought out the best in her abilities and made those times memorable.  Christmas and Easter were holidays of prayer and devotion to be spent with family.  Marie was both humble and proud.  She did not care for material things, but appreciated quality and lasting value.  She was a quick judge of character and was usually right about people.  And because of this trait, she made friends based on that character and not status.  She formed friendships with people from all walks of life.  Everyone was welcome in her home.  Her compassion was deep and sincere, especially for those who could not help themselves.  A Hospice volunteer said very appropriately: “They don’t make ‘em like this anymore…” and she was right.

Contributions may be made in Marie’s memory to the charity of your choice.

Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday, January, 27, 2015, at St. Mary Catholic Church, 15519 Holmes Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110 at 10 AM. Burial following at All Souls Cemetery. Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Marie at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91) MONDAY 2-4 and 6-8 PM.

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