JOHN PETRINOVICH

1930 - 2016

John Peter Petrinovich January 10, 1930 December 24, 2016 John Petrinovich, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on December 24, 2016 in Tacoma, Washington at the age of 86. He was born in Tacoma on January 10, 1930; the second of 3 children born to Antone and Manda Petrinovich. He attended St. Patrick School and became a commercial fisherman at the age of 14. At age 20, he went into the service during the Korean War. He married his sweetheart, Shirley Mae Kenaston, on April 28, 1951. They had 4 children and were married for 65 years. He purse seined until 1960, then started gill netting and operating his own boat in Alaska until 2001. During his off seasons he worked as a boilermaker for Martinolich Shipyard on the Tacoma Tideflats. He was an avid sports fan, excellent bowler, and coached many youth sports for St. Patrick's School and the Metropolitan Parks. He was a member of the VFW, American Legion, and the Elks. He volunteered at numerous church and community fundraisers and events. He was a faithful and participating parishioner his entire life at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. He was a member of the Slavonian Hall (SABS) since 1955. He was passionate about preserving his Croatian heritage. Over the years, John's commitment to hard work and support of SABS resulted in his election to the Board in 1992. He then became Vice President and ultimately the President in 1996. He served as the President until May 2016. In 2016, he was selected as the Outstanding Croatian Person of the Year, and was awarded an honor by the Croatian Ambassador to the US in a ceremony in Seattle. John was preceded in death by his parents Anton and Manda, his elder brother Domi, and sister-in-law Kathy Petrinovich. He is survived by his wife Shirley, his sister Anne Brunner, his children Debbie (Bob) Zeemin, Jack (Jodi) Petrinovich, Connie (Bill) Gerkman, and Lisa Bartich, 12 grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many great-grandchildren. We want to thank all of the wonderful staff at Narrows Glen Retirement Community for all the time they spent caring for John. We also want to thank all the fine doctors and staff at Franciscan Health, who helped keep John going for 86 years, and Father Seamus Laverty for his spiritual guidance and kindness. A private Funeral Mass was celebrated on December 28, 2016. Please leave online condolences at www.gaffneycares.com. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home, 253-572-6003.