Desa Sunarich

Sunarich, Desa Our beloved mother, Baka and dear friend Desa Sunarich left this world June 2, 2010. She was at home surrounded by her loved ones. She was born July 28, 1924, to Dragutine and Margret Stula, in the city of Zagreb, in the former Yugoslavia. Her family moved to Belgrade and then Novi Sad, where she lived most of her young life. At the age of 21 she walked across the Alps from Austria to Italy as a refugee from Yugoslavia. She then moved to Italy where she lived for six years with her first husband Vlado Sunarich. They subsequently moved to the United States where she later became a naturalized American citizen. She continued her education while raising three children as a single parent and earned both bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She taught foreign languages for 21 years at Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wisconsin. After her retirement she settled in Austin, Texas to be closer to many of her family members. Desa was predeceased by first husband Vlado Sunarich, her second husband Branko Svircic, and her grandson Jacob Scanlan. She is survived by her children Neda Scanlan and husband Hank of Houston, Texas, Manx Thorsoun (Deyan) of Waukesha, Wisconsin; Mara, husband Ira and grandson Aaron Lipstet of Austin, Texas; and her brother Dr. Gojko Stula of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Friends and relatives will miss hear dearly and she will be forever in our hearts. The family would like to thank doctors Laura Guerrero and Eileen Cook of Austin for their caring support and compassion for Desa during her final years. A memorial will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the Unity Center Church of Austin, 9603 Dessau Road, Austin, Texas 78754. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Desa's favorite charities - Habitat for Humanity, Capital Area Food Bank, or the Salvation Army.