Bronko Borozan, 89

Bronko Borozan passed away peacefully Oct. 13, 2024, in North Bend, Wash., where he lived with his wife, Patricia Fager Borozan. Bronko and Patricia were married for 63 years. 

Bronko was born in Hazleton, Pa., on June 18, 1935. His father, Mašan Milošev Borozan, and his mother, Jove Mašanove Borozan (born Mudreša), were recent immigrants from the village of Bokovo in Montenegro. 

Shortly after his birth, Bronko moved to Butte, Mont., where he was raised with his two younger brothers, Dušan (“Duke”) and Danilo (“Beba”). Bronko was a dedicated student and athlete, excelling in track and football. His many Butte friends remained dear to him his entire life. 

Bronko earned his bachelor’s degree and medical degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. While he was a student there, he met and married Patricia Fager Borozan. The first years of their marriage were spent in Buffalo, N.Y., where Bronko completed his medical internship; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Long Beach, Calif., where he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy; and Riverside, Calif., where he completed his residency as an OBGYN. However, their hearts remained in the Pacific Northwest, where they spent the remainder of their lives raising four children: Anne, Lisa, Karen and John. 

Bronko worked for 30 plus years as an OBGYN and delivered thousands of babies at Northwest Hospital in Seattle, Wash., and Stevens Hospital (later Swedish-Edmonds) in Edmonds, Wash. There were times when he delivered over 100 babies in a single month. He was honored to have been the birth doctor for dozens of lifelong friends. During the last 10 years of his career, he had the honor of working alongside his daughter, Karen, who was a labor and delivery nurse. 

Bronko had a lifelong love of music and his Slavic heritage, and he found an outlet for both of these passions in Seattle’s Yugoslav community. He became an enthusiastic supporter of the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans, where his children learned to sing and dance to folk songs from the region. He and Patricia joined with other SJT parents to form a music group of their own, Žive Žice (“Live Wires”). In his retirement years, he learned to play the violin and joined an American folk group in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, called Group Therapy. 

Bronko was known as an avid woodworker and built everything from houses to musical instruments. He learned to make tamburitzas (Balkan instruments) from Milan Opacich of Gary, Ind., and violins from Frank Henderson of Richmond Beach, Wash. 

Bronko was baptized in the Serbian Orthodox Church and served as an altar boy at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Butte, Mont., where he and Patricia were married. They raised their children at St. Nectarios Cathedral in Seattle, where Bronko put his woodworking skills to use by contributing to the iconostasis and candle stands. 

Bronko was blessed by more friends, colleagues and relatives than we can list here, but they were his life's greatest treasure. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter Anne Borozan (Bruce McDonald); daughter Lisa Hopke (Braun); daughter Karen Borozan (Andrew Gillis); son John Borozan (Michelle); grandchildren Nicholas Ellingson, Elisabeth Ellingson, Maximos Rolle, Rachel Hopke, Basil Hopke, Haley Gillis, Alexander Ingham (Jessica), Jacob Gillis (Jesselyn), Madeline Ingham, Elias Borozan, Sophia Borozan, Helena Borozan and Isaac Borozan; great-grand-children Bo, Knox, Sage and Rhet; sister-in-law Lynn Borozan and family; sister-in-law Joan Fager and family; niece Marjorie Thomas and family; niece Elaine Sarver and family; and niece Radmila Borozan and family. 

Bronko is preceded in death by his parents, Mašan and Jove Borozan; brother Djoko Mašanov Borozan (Božana); sister Zorka Milenkov Brzakovich (born Zorka Mašanov Borozan); brother Dušan “Duke” Mašanov Borozan; and Danilo “Beba” Mašanov Borozan; and niece Mira Bogdanov (born Brzakovich).