1936 – 2024
John Kremenich
John Kremenich, current resident of Puyallup, and former long-time resident of West Seattle, was called home in the early morning hours of June 11th, 2024.
John was born to Petar and Mary Kremenich, in the village of Kornic,’ on the island of Krk, Croatia (former Yugoslavia) in 1936. John would have much rather stayed in his beloved village tending to his animals, growing olives & grapes in the family orchard, and farming with his loving grandfather, but America was the premier destination and land of opportunity at the time, and so began John’s journey and legacy. He begrudgingly emigrated to the United States in 1954, to join the rest of his family, residing in the Croatian Riverside Community in West Seattle, and began working for the railroad with his father, as well as catching the eye of his future bride.
Even though he was not yet a U.S. citizen, he was drafted and proudly served in the U.S. Army, stationed in the Korean demilitarized zone, after the Korean War. After his discharge he returned to West Seattle, working for the railroad and rekindling his romance with his sweetheart, Eleanor, laying down his roots and starting his own family, raising three children.
John was a hard-working, self-made man, proud of his Croatian heritage, but extremely grateful for the opportunities given him in America, learning English on his own and constantly striving to improve himself. He exemplified the American Dream, that if you worked hard, and believed in yourself, anything was possible, a belief that he often talked about and passed onto his family and friends. He possessed an uncanny mechanical aptitude which enabled him to troubleshoot and fix most anything, always willing to “pay it forward” and lend a hand with his expertise to those that needed it, and pass on his knowledge so that others could benefit. This perseverance and talent allowed him to move on from the railroad, eventually working for United Airlines as well as a host of major hotel complexes and chains, maintaining mechanical, HVAC and refrigeration systems, which culminated in a career as Head Building Engineer for the Safeco Corporation, responsible for the daily mechanical operations of the University District Safeco Tower as well as oversight over all the major East/West Coast Safeco facilities…quite the accomplishment for a young man arriving from Eastern Europe decades earlier, unable to speak English, with nothing more than the shirt on his back.
John & his wife remained long-time West Seattle residents as empty-nesters, and after retirement, moved to Puyallup to enjoy their golden years where John could spend his free time doing the things that he loved…gardening and tending to his beloved roses and meticulous landscaping, making frequent trips to the family vacation cabin retreat, traveling for pleasure and to visit his out-of-state family, and enjoying visits from his family and friends. John was a quiet, soft-spoken man, devoted to the lives of his family members and friends, as well as those close to them, and although folks may not realize it, he did whatever he could behind the scenes without any fanfare, to ensure their success.
John is survived by his loving wife of over 60 years, Eleanor Kremenich, Son and Daughter-in-law Allan & Diane Kremenich, granddaughter Shelby Kremenich, daughter Lisa Caffee, grandson Matthew Caffee, sister Frances Petervary and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death and welcomed home by his eldest daughter, Theresa Kremenich-Gallagher. Services will be held at All Saints Parish, 503 3rd St SW, Puyallup WA 98371 on August 10th, 2024 at 11:00 am with reception following. A private graveside service with family will occur at Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle at a later date.
Services for John will be live-streamed at the following link:
The bells of The Church of St. James in John’s native village of Kornic’ rang out in sorrow on June 17th, 2024 to honor the loss of one of their own, and to call him home. There are many words to describe the impression John had on the lives of his family and friends, but his nephew summed it up best: “He was always the best man in the room, the kindest, the most sincere and our world without him will be a bit smaller.”
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