In Memoriam: Dr. Zelimir (Bob) Juricic

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We note with sadness and respect the passing of Germanic and Slavic Studies Professor Emeritus Zelimir (Bob) Juricic, who was born on April 1, 1935 and passed away on February 18, 2021. In honour of his life and work as a member of the Humanities community, we share a statement provided by his family.

Dr. Zelimir Juricic was a titan and global expert of the academic world within his field of Slavonic Studies. After a courageous and valiant escape (1953) from him original home in Zagreb, Croatia, Bob and his young family pursued a scholarly career by achieving his B.A. from UBC in 1964. He was appointed as a Teaching Assistant in Slavonic Studies at UBC at the beginning of the 1964-65 academic year. In 1966, he completed his graduate studies and was awarded a Master's Degree in Slavonic Studies. After receiving employment offers from the University of Texas and an Interior BC College, Bob accepted a job offer in 1966 to teach Russian and Croatian from the University of Victoria.

In 1970 Bob attended the University of Nottingham and achieved his doctorate in 1972, on the research topic of "Russian Repertory in the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb". After returning to UVic, Bob was promoted to the position of Assistant Professor, then to Professor, and, at his retirement, to Professor Emeritus. For the ensuing thirty years, Bob taught at the University of Victoria and the Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in the field of Russian and Croatian languages, literatures, and cultures.

During his career at the University of Victoria, Bob published several books including:

  • The man and the artist: Essays on Ivo Andrić, University Press of America, 1986.
  • Ivo Andrić u Berlinu: 1939-1941, Svjetlost: Sarajevo, 1989.
  • The development of spiritual life in Bosnia under the influence of Turkish rule, Duke University Press, 1991.
  • Russian repertory in the Croatian National Theatre 1874-1914, Astra Press, Nottingham, England.

Bob had also researched various aspects of ethnicity and assimilation of the Croatian community in British Columbia, and published over thirty scholarly articles on this subject in Canada and abroad.

Dr. Zelimir (Bob) Juricic, 85, passed away peacefully on February 18th, 2021 in Victoria. He was survived by his wife Maja Juricic, children John Juricic (Colleen) and Cathy Boraston (Alisdair), grand-children Dan Juricic (Natasha), Sarah Harrington (Brian), Mike Juricic (Sara), Kathryn Juricic (Ollie), Natalie, Amanda and Julia Boraston and great-grand children Luke and Max Harrington and Jake and Ayla Juricic. As Bob liked to say, "Family is everything".

Immediate family and close friends celebrated his life on a glorious, sunny and spirited day in Victoria. However, from that initial start of one person all that time ago, his extended Canadian family of approximately 30 close relatives will celebrate his life for eternity.

For those wishing to leave a memory and/or condolences for the family, there is an online obituary:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?n=zelimir-juricic-bob&pid=197945348