Ruzica "Seka" Hrgovcic

Seka was born the eldest of three children, in the small village of Josipdol, Croatia on the 22nd of June 1927, to Milan and Dragica Loncarec. Her parents, both teachers, did not have much in the way of material things, but gifted Seka with a lifelong love of learning, nature, and music. Seka moved to Zagreb, Croatia to pursue her university studies and completed the equivalent of a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Zagreb. She then began a successful career as a biochemist in various hospital labs in Zagreb, rising to the rank of Chief of Laboratory Services at one of Zagreb’s most renowned hospitals.

Seka married Martin Hrgovcic, M.D. on the 31st of December 1959. Martin was a widower, and a bonus to her marriage was his two-year old daughter Dubravka, who Seka never considered anything but her own. Martin and Seka had two more children, a daughter Mirjana, and a son Hrvoje. Seka’s children were the center of her life and nothing brought her greater joy than spending time with them, especially when the entire family was together.

Seka and Martin immigrated to the United States in 1969 in pursuit of freedom and opportunities, not for themselves, but for their children. Martin credits much of his success in the pioneering research he accomplished for treatment of Hodkgins’ Disease to Seka’s work and assistance. “I wouldn’t be who I was without her” he has often said. After moving to the U.S., Seka worked briefly at Baylor College of Medicine, as a lab technician. As an immigrant, she wasn’t able to find work comparable to her position in Croatia, but she quickly and readily accepted the job and excelled at it, never for a moment believing it was beneath her.

In 1971, Martin and Seka purchased a home on a cul-de-sac in the newly built community of Sharpstown, where they made cherished lifelong friends who became the family they had left behind in Croatia. Seka spent the next forty plus years doing the job she cherished most, fulltime wife, mother and homemaker. She cooked, gardened, made crafts and made her children’s friends feel welcome and adored whenever they visited.

Martin and Seka loved their adopted country, but never forgot their Croatian roots and remained active members of the Croatian Club in Houston. Seka’s Croatian delicacies, including “orehnjaca” were a hit at every Croatian and Slavic gathering in the greater Houston area.

In 2013, Martin and Seka moved to the Village at Tanglewood retirement community, where Seka immediately made many friends and became a much loved member of the community.

Seka was a devout and active member of St. Frances de Sales Catholic Church for more than 40 years, attending Mass almost every day. She worked humbly and behind the scenes to do whatever was needed. Delivering the Eucharist to the elderly and homebound was one of her favorite ways to show her love of her faith. After moving to Tanglewood, Martin and Seka became members of St. Michael’s Catholic Church and were overjoyed when Fr. Wayne Wilkerson, their long time pastor from St. Frances became the pastor at St. Michael’s. Fr. Wayne’s moving tribute to Seka during her funeral mass was a blessing to the family.

Seka is survived by her husband, Martin Hrgovcic, M.D., and her children Dubravka Romano and her husband Terry Frakes, Mirjana Hrgovcic, and Hrvoje Hrgovcic. She is also survived by her grandson John Joseph Romano and wife Lauren, her sister Sonja Loncarec, M.D. and countless friends.

Seka hated attention, but loved the Lord and her Catholic Faith. In accordance with her wishes, the family held a private funeral mass and joined her regular rosary group at the Village at Tanglewood to pray the rosary, which Seka did every day. For those wishing to honor Seka with a memorial, the family suggests saying a prayer on her behalf or bestowing a kindness on a stranger, as she would have done.