Ljuban (Luka) Kašiković, of St. Petersburg, Florida, passed away on July 5, 2024, after a life lived boldly across many states and countries. Ljuban was born 5,400 miles away from his final resting place, in his beloved Milavici, Bosnia & Hercegovina in 1962, to Zarko and Gospava. The youngest of four siblings, Ljuban spent his early days alongside his late siblings, Dragan, Lazar and Marija, and his cousins Milimir and Jovan, playing soccer, tending to the farm and dreaming of a life outside the village. He left his home for Mostar at fifteen for his high school education and then Sarajevo for university. He was a determined and disciplined young man, finishing top of class in electrical engineering, while simultaneously balancing multiple jobs and competing in both karate & soccer.
Upon graduating, Ljuban put down roots in Mostar, building a home with his brother Lazar. Ljuban met the love of his life Sanja, whom he married on December 14, 1991. Just as they finally had some steady footing, the war broke out in Bosnia and Hercegovina, in April 1992, setting them on a journey they never could have imagined. In December 1992, they arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia as refugees. They had just 200 dollars remaining in their pockets, after paying rent, but they were grateful to have made it to Canada. Despite his education, Ljuban spent his early years in Vancouver working odd jobs, from construction work to delivering newspapers together with Sanja. And somehow, he still found time to continue with karate and placed 3rd in the 1996 Canadian National Championships. In the midst of all this, in 1994, Sanja and Ljuban welcomed their daughter, Aleksandra, and in 1995, their son Marko.
In 1998, his telecommunications career brought him to New Jersey, to work for Bell Labs. Ljuban stayed with Bell Labs through the acquisitions to Lucent Technologies, then Alcatel Lucent, and finally Nokia, meeting many people along the way who admired him due to his professional acumen, as well as his humor and humility. He held onto them dearly.
While the first 35 years of Ljuban’s life were marked with many twists and turns, his time in New Jersey with his family was much calmer- raising the kids, being an active part of the Serbian community and being a stellar soccer dad. He loved any chance he could to escape to the Jersey Shore. After losing his wife in 2015, he focused his energy on his two kids, traveling and dreaming of where his next step was. In 2021, Ljuban moved to the Tampa Bay area, where he spent the last three years of his life fully enjoying it - whether at the beach, on the pickleball courts or alongside his beautiful Balkan community.
Ljuban’s life was anything but typical. It had more instability than one person should have endured. And yet, his hungry spirit and can-do attitude allowed him to meet each obstacle with patience and grace. He believed in himself, in his family, in his traditions and in his culture. Instead of letting the hardships harden him, he softened over the years, always open to seeing the world through a different lens. He embraced challenge and change. He treated everyone like an old friend, always eager to make a new connection or invite someone over for a coffee. And even when cancer stole the last two months of his life, his only wish was to be able to help other sick people and his two kids.
Ljuban’s life and legacy lives on through his dear family and all the friends he made during the different seasons of his beautiful life.
If you would like to send flowers in loving memory of Ljuban, please use the link provided below. However, if you would like to make a donation in Ljuban’s name, please donate to the Novak Djokovic Foundation: https://fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org/team/592540
A gathering of family & friends for Ljuban will be held Friday, July 12, 2024 from 10 - 11am, with the funeral following at 11am, Serenity Funeral Home, 13401 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, Florida 33774. Ljuban will be laid to rest at Serenity Gardens Memorial Park in Largo, Florida. Following the services, there will be a reception at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 15250 58th Street North, Clearwater, Florida 33760.
A message from his family in Serbia:
Како написати некролог теби?
Теби који си, мада физички мртав, живљи од многих који овом Земљом ходају?
Теби који си ми једини остао од мог деде и бабе...
Зато ово није обичан некролог.
Ово је нешто моје, написано из срца, написано да ти, а и сви остали, знају колико се поносим тобом.
Није лако ово написати, мада шта је лако?
Зар је био лак живот, теби који си успео?
Успео си да од једног плавокосог дечака из оног само нама знаног поднебља дођеш до врха. Није тај пут био посут цвећем. Многе препреке су се налазиле на њему. Ниси се повлачио, ишао си напред, падао си и устајао, настављао даље...
Гледали су те, бодрили су те, неки су ти и отежавали, али ти марио ниси. Знао си шта желиш и никада веру ниси губио.
Како је било бити најмлађе дете у многобројној херцеговачкој породици? Тебе је увек било лако волети.
Нису ти могли дати много материјалног. Можда си некада био и гладан, лоше обучен, слабо обувен, али зар је то све важно наспрам оног што су усадили у тебе? Знам да није. Много пута смо причали о нашој кући, о нашем селу, о нашима, и увек са осмехом.
Пар тренутака са тобом је било довољно да те људи заволе и запамте за цео живот.
Писати о твојим успесима би било лако јер их је било много, али зар нема већег признања од тога да су и богати и сиромашни уживали у твом друштву?
Нисам ти много пута рекао да те волим, јер ми то не говоримо често, али си знао да те носим у срцу.
И тај пољубац који си ми послао последњи дан када ти је Сандра рекла да те волим...
То ми је најлепша и најтежа успомена на твој последњи дан. Порука која никада неће бити избрисана. Успомена која ће остати заувек.
И зато ти нећу рећи збогом, јер се нећу поздрављати са тобом, као што се никада нисам поздравио са нашима који те чекају горе. Опет ћете бити заједно, као некада.
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