John Markovic

John Markovic was born in Kragujevac, Serbia and raised in Belgrade, Serbia. John's Father, a successful lawyer, was tragically executed by Tito's Communist soldiers while serving as an Officer in the King's Army when John was 18 months old. John was rebellious, impatient and disinterested in going to school on a regular basis except that he loved to read and write poetry. When Serbia's communist government refused to publish John's poems due apparently to his family's history of supporting the King of Serbia, John rejected Serbia as his country of birth and language.

He found his way to France in his late teens where he became a well-regarded commercial painter in Paris giving him his initial foundation in the construction trades.

John emigrated to America in July of 1969 through a sponsorship of his cousin in Ohio as a political refugee due to John's Father being killed by Tito's Yugoslavian communist regime. John was frustrated with the slower pace of Ohio and quickly found his way to Paterson, New Jersey. Soon thereafter, John invited his French girlfriend Colette to New Jersey and quickly married her in October of 1969.

In 1970, Suburban Painting & Waterproofing was established by John and a partner and was quickly changed to Suburban Restoration Co. Inc. after John bought out his partner in 1972.

In 1976, John was the first contractor to perform an asbestos abatement project in 6 schools in Howell Township, New Jersey using only paper masks and water given the absence of asbestos regulations at the time. During his time as a contractor, he performed and/or oversaw over 10,000 projects of all types.

John was very friendly with all of his employees over the decades - he treated his employees like his family. He took them on fishing trips with him, talked to then about the importance of saving and investing, told them that they could be successful just like him.

Many of John's former employees started their own companies due to John's helpful and encouraging advice. Others used his saving and investing advice to become wealthy themselves.

In the near future, John's family, as per John's most fervent wishes, hopes to publish the poems that John wrote during his earlier years in English, French and Serbo-Croatian languages.

He loved fishing, watching boxing matches, reading, working and being with his wife and family.

He is survived by his loving wife Colette of 55 years, eldest son Roman and daughter-in-law Terry, daughter Sophie, youngest son Bill and six grandchildren, two sisters Ljupka and Mila other relatives and friends.