Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Diana's Life
We have created this blog to serve as a reminder of Diana's life and the legacy that she has left for family and friends.
Diana was born in Shanghai, China in 1943 as the daughter of an American attorney representing U.S. interests in China and a Russian immigrant. After her father's passing a couple of years after World War II ended in China, a very young Diana and her widow mother moved to California where her mother had family members living. After several years, her mother met and married a Brazilian doctor. As a teen, Diana traveled to and lived in Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, and El Salvador.
During the years of travel, Diana realized that she had a knack for languages. Diana attended Georgetown University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in languages and linguistics, she simultaneously earned her master’s degree equivalent in Spanish and Portuguese interpretation and translation.
Her language ability and the connections Diana made at Georgetown University set the stage for an exciting career in interpreting. Diana traveled the United States and the world, seeing almost every state in the country. She also worked for organizations such as Pan American Health Organization, the State Department, the White House, Vatican, United Nations, Pentagon, Federal Aviation Administration, Smithsonian, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the District Court in Prince George's County and countless large private and public companies. Diana interpreted for presidents, kings, judges, conferences, seminars, country negotiations and much more in her life long career. She loved the people she met and the subjects she learned at the same time she was able to make a comfortable life for herself and her family.
Diana married Dejan Jovanovic in 1972 and she often told family and friends that he was the love of her life. Dejan had escaped communist Yugoslavia as a young man and built a life from scratch in America. From there he charmed his way into Diana’s life, married her, and they had three children. Dejan died in 1985, which left Diana heartbroken.
Diana tirelessly raised her three children, one boy and two girls who are all adults now. As much as she enjoyed her work, her heart always lay with her family. Diana loved spending time with her three children and finding out all the details of their lives. As they grew up she delicately balanced her career while being intimately involved in all of her children's lives and activities. They often visited a vacation home that the family owned in Northern Neck, VA where Diana and the children enjoyed being on the Chesapeake Bay and enjoying a slower pace of life.
As her two oldest children grew, she enjoyed spending time with her four grandchildren (two grandchildren per child). She also doted on her youngest child who was finishing University and living with Diana.
Diana had an extremely active social life and unbelievable network of friends. She had the ability to connect with people of all social backgrounds and cultures and enjoyed learning about people's lives. Diana had a way of making people's history, stories and lives seem unbelievably exciting.
After a 5-year battle with cancer where the doctor's from John's Hopkins gave her 2-months to live Diana died on Thursday, July 2, 2009, beloved mother of Nicholas D. Jovanovic, Tania J. Grant and Jelica J. Jovanovic. Also survived by four grandchildren, brother Nelson Aidar and a host of friends.
A Memorial Service will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 11 at Colesville Presbyterian Church, 12800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904. At Diana's request, please do not wear black but wear white or light colored clothes to celebrate her life.
In lieu of sending flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society (ACS) in honor of Diana Jovanovic by CLICKING HERE and selecting Donate now at the top of the page.
Diana was born in Shanghai, China in 1943 as the daughter of an American attorney representing U.S. interests in China and a Russian immigrant. After her father's passing a couple of years after World War II ended in China, a very young Diana and her widow mother moved to California where her mother had family members living. After several years, her mother met and married a Brazilian doctor. As a teen, Diana traveled to and lived in Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, and El Salvador.
During the years of travel, Diana realized that she had a knack for languages. Diana attended Georgetown University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in languages and linguistics, she simultaneously earned her master’s degree equivalent in Spanish and Portuguese interpretation and translation.
Her language ability and the connections Diana made at Georgetown University set the stage for an exciting career in interpreting. Diana traveled the United States and the world, seeing almost every state in the country. She also worked for organizations such as Pan American Health Organization, the State Department, the White House, Vatican, United Nations, Pentagon, Federal Aviation Administration, Smithsonian, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the District Court in Prince George's County and countless large private and public companies. Diana interpreted for presidents, kings, judges, conferences, seminars, country negotiations and much more in her life long career. She loved the people she met and the subjects she learned at the same time she was able to make a comfortable life for herself and her family.
Diana married Dejan Jovanovic in 1972 and she often told family and friends that he was the love of her life. Dejan had escaped communist Yugoslavia as a young man and built a life from scratch in America. From there he charmed his way into Diana’s life, married her, and they had three children. Dejan died in 1985, which left Diana heartbroken.
Diana tirelessly raised her three children, one boy and two girls who are all adults now. As much as she enjoyed her work, her heart always lay with her family. Diana loved spending time with her three children and finding out all the details of their lives. As they grew up she delicately balanced her career while being intimately involved in all of her children's lives and activities. They often visited a vacation home that the family owned in Northern Neck, VA where Diana and the children enjoyed being on the Chesapeake Bay and enjoying a slower pace of life.
As her two oldest children grew, she enjoyed spending time with her four grandchildren (two grandchildren per child). She also doted on her youngest child who was finishing University and living with Diana.
Diana had an extremely active social life and unbelievable network of friends. She had the ability to connect with people of all social backgrounds and cultures and enjoyed learning about people's lives. Diana had a way of making people's history, stories and lives seem unbelievably exciting.
After a 5-year battle with cancer where the doctor's from John's Hopkins gave her 2-months to live Diana died on Thursday, July 2, 2009, beloved mother of Nicholas D. Jovanovic, Tania J. Grant and Jelica J. Jovanovic. Also survived by four grandchildren, brother Nelson Aidar and a host of friends.
A Memorial Service will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 11 at Colesville Presbyterian Church, 12800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904. At Diana's request, please do not wear black but wear white or light colored clothes to celebrate her life.
In lieu of sending flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society (ACS) in honor of Diana Jovanovic by CLICKING HERE and selecting Donate now at the top of the page.
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