VRANIC, Berto –
Berto Vranic was born into a loving Croatian family on June 23, 1940 in the former Yugoslavia. He was the sixth of nine children born to Ivo Vranic and Antonia Rolih. Towards the end of WWII when Berto was only four, the family fled with many other refugees to Austria and later to Italy. Then in 1948 they were accepted as refugees into Argentina, where they settled in Lujan, outside of Buenos Aires. There, Berto graduated school and went on to study aviation engineering. His family were active members of the local Croatian culture club, where he would meet the love of his life and future wife Vojana (also known to friends as “Jenny”).
In 1968 Berto crossed the world again as he and Jenny moved to Toronto and settled in the St. Clair area. Berto worked in construction, specializing in the crafts of stone and tile masonry. He would eventually renovate their entire house himself, building it up around Jenny even as she lived in it. Later he established his own construction company with a close friend, where he worked until his retirement.
Berto was always active–when he wasn’t working he always had scores of projects at home or for a friend. If he wasn’t ripping apart his kitchen to rebuild it, he was paving the back patio brick by brick, canning his own sauerkraut, or trying to make his own wine. He was very close with Jenny’s son Janko–the three of them always up late during Janko’s visits, talking until the early hours of the morning in their own language that was part Croatian, part Spanish, part English, part private jokes honed over the decades. He was a loving grandpa to Janko’s daughters Chloe and Gina, always play wrestling with them when they were little or dragging them around the park on a sled. A devoted husband, Berto cared for Jenny physically and emotionally in the warmth of their home as long as possible. When Jenny eventually went to a nursing facility, Berto visited and sat with her every single day for the final years of her life. He reconnected with his extensive family in Argentina in his later life, literally showing up on their doorstep after more than 40 years abroad, where he was welcomed with love and open arms. To his nieces and nephews, he was the cool uncle – the one that felt more like a brother than a parental relation. Most of his Sundays were spent on the phone, touching base with those he cared about around the world, and the highlight of each day was sharing an espresso with his friends.
Berto passed away at his home on December 4, 2022. He was welcomed into the next life by his wife Jenny Vranic; stepson and best friend Janko Herakovic; his parents and his siblings. He is survived by his granddaughters Chloe Herakovic (Sebastian Wuepper) of Chicago, Illinois; Gina Herakovic (Sean Walsh) of Detroit, MI; daughter-in-law Cynthia Herakovic of Escanaba, MI; nephews Frano Marijanovic (Margarita), Marko Marijanovic (Marta), Baja Marijanovic (Silvia), niece Paula Marijanovic of Lujan, Argentina; and many other beloved family and friends in Canada, Argentina and the United States.Berto has also favourite nephew Ivan in Sweden and his sister in Croatia. He will be missed terribly but memories of his warm heart, gruff affection and fierce loyalty will live on in their hearts.
Resting at the NEWEDIUK FUNERAL HOME, A. ROY MILLER CHAPEL, 1695 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto (between Keele Street and Lansdowne Avenue), on Saturday, December 17, 2022 from 8 a.m. until service time in the chapel at 10 a.m. Interment Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to Don Bosco Mission Office, Formation of Salesian Priests and Brothers, the Canadian Cancer Society, or masses in memory of Mr. Berto Vranic would be appreciated. Online condolences at newediukfuneralhome.com
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Berto Vranic Sunday December 4th 2022 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
Death notice for the town of: Toronto, Province: Ontario