Alan Saracevic

1969 - 2022

Alan Saracevic
October 22, 1969 - August 27, 2022
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Alan Saracevic, who left us far too soon at age 52. Al died after he collapsed following a show at a San Francisco music venue on August 27, where he had seen an old friend perform. He is mourned by his wife, Jenn, his children Sam and Maggie, his extended family and thousands of friends.
Al is widely remembered for his storied career in journalism, a profession he revered. His work had a profound impact on the communities he served, but his family and friends will remember him for his unwavering devotion to the people he loved.
He was a loyal friend to so many, writing notes prolifically, arranging get-togethers and parties, and gaining energy from being surrounded by people who loved him and whom he adored. His friends and family around the world would flock to meet with him whenever he traveled near, including those in Cleveland, Zagreb, New York, Boston, New Jersey, Chicago, Lake Tahoe, and his adopted and cherished hometown of San Francisco. In any given week, Al would reach out to dozens of friends and family via texts, social media messages and phone calls, all while juggling a huge volume of information and content creation in his professional life.
Al was an avid outdoorsman, something inspired by his mountaineering parents, who named him after a favorite part of the Velebit mountain range in Croatia. He loved to ski, learning from his father Tefko in Ohio and regularly honing his skills in Alta, Utah, on slopes where his father first brought him in 1979, where he taught his own children to ski, and where he skied most often and always with family. His love for the outdoors, coupled with his love for VW campers, took him to places near and far for road tripping, camping, swimming and hiking.
Al loved to travel, from the time he was a baby taken by his parents to Croatia, Bosnia and Brazil to recent trips to Croatia and to Hawaii, where he accompanied Maggie to college just a few days before his death. Although he often arranged travel to reconnect with family and friends, he also sought to explore new places. Curious and gregarious, he inevitably found interesting sights wherever he landed through a friendly overture to a local.
Al was born on his mother Blanka's birthday. He grew up just outside of Cleveland in Euclid, Ohio, the son of immigrants who became academic professionals. He was a smart, strong and athletic kid who played several sports and took an early interest in sports heroes, a passion he was able to follow as a sports journalist later in life. He was part of a large group of friends in Euclid, some since kindergarten, who remained in touch and gathered as often as possible.
Al's formative years in Cleveland helped develop his man-on-the-street personality (and, of course, his lifelong loyalty and futile hopes for Cleveland's teams). In 1987, his father took a new position as a professor at Rutgers University and moved the family to New Jersey. Al liked to joke about how his father had had two options, UCLA or Rutgers, and somehow chose New Jersey.
It was in New Jersey, however, that he met Jenn Kline, a classmate at Hillsborough High School who would later become his wife of 26 years. In high school and college in New Jersey, Al forged another large group of friends with whom he also stayed in constant contact.
Al moved to New York City after finishing his journalism degree at Rutgers and started his career at a book publisher and writing for small New York papers. It was there, on West 16th Street, that he ran into Jenn again. They reconnected as friends and quickly became partners for life. After living in New York for several years, Al and Jenn decided to head west, driving across the country (without heat) in his beloved van to San Francisco. There he continued his love of journalism, starting what would be an epic career spanning nearly three decades at the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle.
Al and Jenn were married at the Fairmont Hotel on May 11, 1996. He would later realize that their anniversary was often shared with Mother's Day, which put him into a tailspin every May to find ways to honor his beautiful wife. They had their first child, Samuel, in 2000. Maggie, who came along in 2002, was born on Al's birthday -- the third generation in the family born on the same date. Al swooned over his babies.
In 2004, Al moved his family to Lafayette to give them room to thrive in a beautiful suburb outside of San Francisco. Al coached his kids' sports, enjoyed the nature around them and complained about his commute to work in San Francisco. He loved sitting on the back deck of his home enjoying the view of the hills around him.
The most significant focus of the last two decades of Alan's life was his children. From their father's attention, Sam and Maggie learned that they could accomplish what they wanted with hard work; he pushed them to be their best, saying, "Saracevics never quit." He shared his love of nature with them through picnics and camping along the California coast and visits to Lake Tahoe, often finding ways to bring the family's bulldogs along. He was always thrilled when the whole family was spending time together. He loved getting in the car with no destination in mind and finding something that was perfect for everyone, typically involving some delicious food.
Al was also passionate about supporting his kids in their athletic endeavors. He coached Sam in football and baseball and Maggie in softball for over 10 years. He was enthusiastic about coaching kids, helping many of his children's teammates. He wanted the experience of sports to be fun rather than intense and focused on winning. He would leave work early to make sure he never missed a practice or game and sometimes would even come in uniform. He relished in his children's high school athletic accomplishments, was proud to see Sam graduate from the University of Arizona earlier this summer, and to watch Maggie's continued development at the University of Hawaii.
Beyond his children, Al applied his considerable intellect and talent to helping others, advocating for change and giving voice to the unobserved through his writing. He was active in the American Croatian community and ensured his mother country was well-represented in the country of his birth. He was motivated to touch the lives of as many people as he could through his words and his actions.
In addition to his beloved wife and children and thousands of his friends, Al will be remembered by his father Tefko, sister Aida Saracevic Tanaka, brother-in-law Stephen Tanaka, nieces Isabella and Allegra Tanaka, mother-in-law Gigi Alpert (Kowalski), aunt-in-law Lucia Kowalski, cousins Drazen, Maja, Tefko, Ozren and Bruno, and their spouses and children. He was preceded in death by his mother Blanka (Kobovac) and his aunts Vesna, Zeljimira, and Aida.
For inquiries about the memorial service for Al, please contact al'smemorial@sfexaminer.com
To donate to a fundraiser for the family, please visit https://gofund.me/963006b5.