Dževad & Mirjana Dizdarević

In Loving Memory of Dževad and Mirjana Dizdarević

Dževad Dizdarević, 73, and Mirjana Dizdarević, 71, of Bluffton, South Carolina, passed away together on August 25, 2026, following a devastating house fire caused by a lightning strike during a severe storm.

Dževad and Mirjana shared a life together for more than 50 years. Their story began in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they were born and raised, attended school, met, fell in love, married in 1975, and began their family. They would have celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in November.

Approximately 30 years ago, the war in Bosnia forced Dževad and Mirjana to leave their homeland as refugees. They came to the United States with their three children and Mirjana’s father, carrying little more than what they could take with them. Starting over in a new country, they worked hard to build a home and a future for their family.

Dževad was born to Adem and Aziza Dizdarević. He was only seven years old when his mother passed away and was subsequently raised by his stepmother, Hajra. He grew up alongside his siblings, Nedžad, Hatidža, Sead, and Seada.

Before leaving Bosnia, Dževad worked as a machinist at a steel mill. After coming to the United States, he worked in construction. He was a hardworking man who always put his family first. Outside of the family, he was known for being funny, thoughtful, and kind. He enjoyed table tennis, fishing, watching soccer, and Western movies.

Some of Dževad’s happiest moments were spent with his grandchildren. He had a special tradition of taking his granddaughters to the Dollar Store each week, where they could choose whatever they wanted. And no matter where Dževad and Mirjana went, they rarely returned home without bringing gifts for their grandchildren.

Mirjana was born to Bogdan and Slavojka Kaluđerović in Zenica. She was an only child and grew up in the city that would remain deeply connected to her throughout her life.

Mirjana worked as a secretary at the same steel mill in Bosnia before coming to America, where she worked in housekeeping and later became an ESL teacher, helping other refugees who were beginning their own lives in the United States.

Mirjana never met a stranger. She could strike up a conversation with someone she had never met, whether in a grocery store or somewhere else, and leave having made a new friend. She loved crocheting, hospitality, coffee, and sitting down for a good conversation with friends, family, or even complete strangers.

She also had an enormous heart for animals. If she saw an animal in need, she could not simply pass by. On one occasion, while she and Dževad were in the mountains, they discovered an abandoned baby squirrel inside a tree nest. Mirjana was pregnant with their oldest daughter at the time, but that did not stop her from insisting that Dževad climb the tree and rescue the baby squirrel. They brought it home and raised it as a family pet. Her compassion for animals remained a defining part of who she was throughout her life.

Above all, Dževad and Mirjana were devoted to their family. They were the parents of three children: Jasmina, Sandra, and Dino. They were grandparents to Deana, Dominik, Adyana, Ena, Alexander, Briana, Mikaela, and Nikolas, and great-grandparents to Kali and Ethan.

Dževad and Mirjana’s relationship was one of remarkable devotion. They shared more than five decades of life together, raising a family, building a home, weathering hardships, and growing older side by side. They were deeply intertwined in every part of life, and there was never any question of how much they meant to one another. After more than 50 years together, they ultimately left this world together as well.

The fire destroyed much more than a house. When Dževad and Mirjana first came to America as refugees, much of what they owned, including many family heirlooms, was lost during their journey from Bosnia and through the refugee camps. After 30 years of building a life in America, many of the remaining physical reminders of that life were lost once again. Their children and grandchildren are now left with only the keepsakes and memories that survived.

Dževad and Mirjana will be cremated, and their remains will be returned to Zenica, the city that was their first home and the place where their story began. They will be laid to rest at Ušće, at the mouth of Babina Rijeka where it enters the Bosna River—a place deeply connected to their lives and to the neighborhood where their children grew up.

They were preceded in death by their parents, Adem and Aziza Dizdarević and Bogdan and Slavojka Kaluđerović, as well as other beloved family members. Dževad was also preceded in death by his stepmother, Hajra, who raised him after the death of his mother when he was seven.

Dževad is survived by his siblings Nedžad, Hatidža, Sead, and Seada, along with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and countless friends whose lives they touched.

Though their lives ended tragically and far too soon, the legacy of Dževad and Mirjana lives on in the family they built, the generations that came after them, the friendships they made, and the memories they left behind.

Their journey began together in Zenica. They built a life together in America. And now, after more than five decades side by side, they will return home together.

A memorial service honoring the lives of Dževad and Mirjana Dizdarević will be held on Monday, September 7, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina time), Sauls Funeral Home 90 Simmonsville Road Bluffton, SC 29910.

Family and friends are invited to join us in remembering two lives, one extraordinary journey, and a love that endured for more than half a century.

——

U znak sjećanja na Dževada i Mirjanu Dizdarević

Dževad Dizdarević, 73, i Mirjana Dizdarević, 71, iz Blufftona u Južnoj Karolini, preminuli su zajedno 25. augusta 2026. godine, nakon razornog požara u kući koji je izazvao udar groma tokom snažne oluje.

Dževad i Mirjana proveli su zajedno više od 50 godina života. Njihova priča započela je u Zenici, u Bosni i Hercegovini, gdje su rođeni i odrasli, završili školu, upoznali se, zaljubili, vjenčali 1975. godine i zasnovali porodicu. U novembru bi proslavili 51. godišnjicu braka.

Prije otprilike 30 godina, rat u Bosni primorao je Dževada i Mirjanu da napuste svoju domovinu kao izbjeglice. U Sjedinjene Američke Države došli su sa svoje troje djece i Mirjaninim ocem, noseći sa sobom tek nešto više od onoga što su mogli ponijeti. Počevši život iznova u novoj zemlji, naporno su radili kako bi izgradili dom i budućnost za svoju porodicu.

Dževad je rođen kao sin Adema i Azize Dizdarević. Imao je samo sedam godina kada mu je majka preminula, nakon čega ga je odgajala maćeha Hajra. Odrastao je uz svoju braću i sestre, Nedžada, Hatidžu, Seada i Seadu.

Prije odlaska iz Bosne, Dževad je radio kao tokar u željezari. Nakon dolaska u Sjedinjene Američke Države radio je u građevinarstvu. Bio je vrijedan čovjek koji je uvijek stavljao porodicu na prvo mjesto. Izvan porodice bio je poznat po svom humoru, pažljivosti i dobroti. Volio je stoni tenis, ribolov, gledanje fudbala i vestern filmova.

Neki od Dževadovih najsretnijih trenutaka bili su oni provedeni s njegovim unukama. Imao je poseban običaj da svake sedmice vodi svoje unuke u Dollar Store, gdje su mogle izabrati šta god su željele. A gdje god bi Dževad i Mirjana otišli, rijetko bi se vratili kući bez poklona za svoje unuke.

Mirjana je rođena u Zenici kao kćerka Bogdana i Slavojke Kaluđerović. Bila je jedinica i odrastala je u gradu koji je cijelog njenog života ostao duboko povezan s njom.

Prije dolaska u Ameriku, Mirjana je radila kao sekretarica u Bosni. Nakon dolaska radila je u održavanju i čišćenju domaćinstava, a kasnije je postala nastavnica engleskog jezika kao drugog jezika, pomažući drugim izbjeglicama koje su započinjale vlastiti život u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama.

Mirjana nikada nije upoznala stranca. Mogla je započeti razgovor s osobom koju nikada ranije nije srela, bilo u prodavnici ili negdje drugo, i otići odatle stekavši novog prijatelja. Voljela je heklanje, gostoprimstvo, kafu i razgovore s prijateljima, porodicom, pa čak i potpunim strancima.

Imala je i ogromno srce za životinje. Ako bi vidjela životinju kojoj je bila potrebna pomoć, nije mogla jednostavno proći pored nje. Jednom prilikom, dok su ona i Dževad bili u planinama, pronašli su napuštenu bebu vjeverice u gnijezdu na drvetu. Mirjana je tada bila trudna s njihovom najstarijom kćerkom, ali to je nije spriječilo da insistira da se Dževad popne na drvo i spasi malu vjevericu. Donijeli su je kući i odgojili kao kućnog ljubimca. Njena saosjećajnost prema životinjama ostala je jedna od njenih najprepoznatljivijih osobina tokom cijelog života.

Iznad svega, Dževad i Mirjana bili su potpuno posvećeni svojoj porodici. Bili su roditelji troje djece: Jasmine, Sandre i Dine. Bili su baba i deda unucima Deani, Dominiku, Adyani, Eni, Alexanderu, Briani, Mikaeli i Nikolasu, te pradjed i prabaka praunucima Kali i Ethanu.

Odnos Dževada i Mirjane bio je ispunjen izuzetnom odanošću. Zajedno su proveli više od pet decenija, odgajajući porodicu, gradeći dom, prolazeći kroz teškoće i stareći jedno uz drugo. Bili su duboko povezani u svakom dijelu života i nikada nije bilo sumnje koliko su značili jedno drugome. Nakon više od 50 godina zajedničkog života, napustili su ovaj svijet zajedno.

Požar je uništio mnogo više od kuće. Kada su Dževad i Mirjana prvi put došli u Ameriku kao izbjeglice, mnogo toga što su posjedovali, uključujući brojne porodične uspomene i naslijeđe, izgubljeno je tokom njihovog putovanja iz Bosne i kroz izbjegličke kampove. Nakon 30 godina izgradnje života u Americi, mnogi preostali materijalni podsjetnici na taj život ponovo su izgubljeni. Njihovoj djeci i unucima sada su ostale samo uspomene i predmeti koji su preživjeli požar.

Dževad i Mirjana bit će kremirani, a njihov pepeo bit će vraćen u Zenicu, grad koji je bio njihov prvi dom i mjesto gdje je njihova priča započela. Bit će položeni na počinak na Ušću, na mjestu gdje Babina Rijeka utječe u rijeku Bosnu — mjestu duboko povezanom s njihovim životima i naseljem u kojem su njihova djeca odrastala.

Prije njih preminuli su njihovi roditelji, Adem i Aziza Dizdarević te Bogdan i Slavojka Kaluđerović, kao i drugi voljeni članovi porodice. Prije Dževada preminula je i njegova maćeha Hajra, koja ga je odgajala nakon smrti njegove majke kada je imao sedam godina.

Dževada su nadživjeli njegova braća i sestre, Nedžad, Hatidža, Sead i Seada, zajedno sa svojom djecom, unucima, praunucima, širom porodicom i brojnim prijateljima čije su živote dotakli.

Iako su njihovi životi završeni tragično i prerano, naslijeđe Dževada i Mirjane živi kroz porodicu koju su izgradili, generacije koje su došle poslije njih, prijateljstva koja su sklopili i uspomene koje su ostavili iza sebe.

Njihovo zajedničko putovanje započelo je u Zenici. Zajedno su izgradili život u Americi. A sada će se, nakon više od pet decenija provedenih jedno uz drugo, zajedno vratiti kući.

Komemoracija

Komemoracija u čast života Dževada i Mirjane Dizdarević održat će se:

Ponedjeljak, 7. septembar 2026. godine

14:00 sati po istočnom vremenu

20:00 sati po vremenu u Zenici, Bosna i Hercegovina

Sauls Funeral Home

90 Simmonsville Road

Bluffton, SC 29910

Porodica i prijatelji pozvani su da nam se pridruže u sjećanju na dva života, jedno izuzetno putovanje i ljubav koja je trajala više od pola stoljeća.