Helen "Yelena" Mitrovich

Yelena Mitrovich died peacefully in San Diego on November 16th, 2022 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She was just shy of her 93rd birthday. Yelena was an outsized personality—a luminous, loving and joyful presence in the lives of her family, her friends and her community. She lived the complete arc of a fulfilled life, and we are all so lucky and grateful to have had her in our lives.

Yelena was born in 1929 in the tiny fishing village of Przno, on the Adriatic in Yugoslavia. As a young girl, with her mother, four sisters and brother she lived through the desperate privation of the Fascist occupation and suffered the death of her adored father. After the war, she blossomed into a vivacious beauty with a fierce ambition, a biting wit and exquisite legs. Most impressively, she also defied the long odds and traditional expectations afforded to a fourth daughter in meager circumstances, by leaving home as a teenager, earning a degree in statistical analysis and going to work in the local county administration. She was the first on every dancefloor, always adorned in the latest fashion, sassy, successful and self-assured.

In 1956 Yelena married her beloved Milo from the “city” of Sveti Stefan in the local “ceremony of the century.” Her children have met strangers who remember the hundreds of attendees, the food, the songs, the celebratory gunshots and especially the spectacular bride. Milo and Yelena had two daughters in Yugoslavia. In the winter of 1961, the young family left their home, their families and their whole lives to sail across the Atlantic, and train across the US to join Milo’s parents and sister in San Diego in order to build their futures. While Milo went to work, Yelena took charge of the kids and household. Their son was born in 1965.

Yelena’s life in those first years in America was not easy. She did not speak English, her husband worked very long hours. She desperately missed her mother and siblings and had to find a way to parent her children in a tiny apartment, a totally alien environment and in the midst of the upheaval years of the Sixties. She faced all of this with anxiety to be sure, but also with grit, hard work, a categorically loving commitment to her family and exacting “my-way-or-the-highway” standards.

As life evolved and she had more time for herself, she found personal fulfillment in time spent with friends, St. George’s Orthodox Church, the Yugoslav-American Women’s Club and traveling to visit her vast family where she was everyone’s favorite auntie. Yelena also became a serious jock: she walked, swam, jogged, pumped iron and climbed Cowles Mountain many days a week. She voraciously read trashy novels. She was a great raconteur—her stories usually involved actual facts. And even well into her 80’s she loved to rock a 4-inch heel, a snazzy outfit and hats—many hats.

Yelena also cooked like a master. In fact, Yelena and food deserve their own paragraph. By her admission, she couldn’t be bothered to boil water before marrying. But she became an extraordinary chef. From her mini kitchen she prepared the gamut: from sumptuous daily family meals to extravaganza “Slava” dinners for forty people; from comforting macaroni dripping in cheese to competition quality seven-layer cakes. She was the “little bit of this, and some of that” kind of cook making anything she prepared impossible to replicate. But it didn’t matter, it was her special touch that could not be replicated. If she cared for you, she cooked for you—all out—and created a bubble of satisfaction and joy that was consummate and unique.

In time, Milo died, there were graduations and weddings (for Yelena) to the perfect sons-in law and daughter-in law. There were also all the usual sad and happy life events. But the part of Yelena’s life that was never usual or anything but over-the-top spectacularly singular, was being a grandmother. And just as her four grandchildren were the lights of her life, Yelena—“Babi”—was the ideal grandmother: adoring, supportive, generous, funny, utterly non-judgmental and each kid’s number one fan. For them it was a “your highway is totally awesome and it’s 100% my highway.” Her house was a spa, a bakery, toy store, game parlor and 24-hour short-order café. She loved the sea and the kids had great times sailing with her. They felt her affection through the special meals she made just exactly as each liked it. They remember feeling cozy when she picked them up from school and wanted to hear everything about their day. They adored her stories of life in “the old country” and especially visiting Sveti Stefan and Przno with her.

Yelena was the literal motherload of love, loyalty, devotion and mama-bear fierceness. Her influence on each of us is immeasurable. We will profoundly miss her.

Yelena is survived by her three children-- Zorica, Risto and Milica--their respective spouses--Jamie, Linda and John--and her grandchildren Alec, Zach, Alyssa and Aaron. Her brother Vlado, his wife Ankica and dozens of nieces, nephews and their children also carry Yelena in their hearts.

Her funeral will be held at St George’s Serbian Orthodox Church. Yelena will be interred at El Camino Memorial Park. The ceremonies will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. George’s Serbian Orthodox Church in San Diego, or your preferred Alzheimer’s focused charity.