John B Mirkovich

John Mirkovich of Covington, WA passed away unexpectedly on September 13, 2022, shocking his family and friends who are left to grieve the loss of a special man who was woven into the fabric of their everyday lives.

John, a first generation American of Croatian descent, was born to Matt and Neda Mirkovich on February 8, 1964 and was raised on Bainbridge Island, WA with his two sisters, Mary and Betty. As a sports fan, John played Little League baseball growing up and played football and basketball in high school. John went on to graduate from Washington State University. Combining his love of sports and travel, John and friends attended professional baseball games at many of the famous ballparks throughout the U.S. Like his father, John had a career with the Washington State Ferries as a dock supervisor at Coleman Dock in Seattle.

John was devoted to his partner, Tracey, and they enjoyed vacationing every year in Palm Springs. John had recently begun teaching Tracey’s daughter, Paeton, how to golf and had planned to take Paeton with them to Palm Springs in October. A collection of funny t-shirts reflected John’s dry, witty sense of humor. As a pet lover, John never missed his daily walks with Lucy, his and Tracey’s dog, who is still looking for him. His devotion extended to family where he and his sister Betty kept with Croatian family traditions together - as Betty would say, “I baked, he ate.” John often helped Betty with yardwork at her home where they grew up and like a good Croat he wasn’t afraid of hard work. Family always came first for John.

John, who was preceded in death by his parents and sister Mary, leaves behind his sister, Betty Mirkovich of Bainbridge Island; his partner, Tracey Bartholomew and her daughter Paeton Bartholomew of Covington, WA; his cousins, Ron and Maria Roemer, Marisa Roemer (Ryan) and Kristina (Weston) Robba, of San Pedro, CA, and Bruno Severa and Simeone (Clarita) Severa of Italy. John was devoted to his loved ones and his absence has left a hole that can never be filled.

A funeral Mass, followed by a reception, will be held at St. Cecilia Catholic Church on Bainbridge Island September 28, 2022 at 10 am. The service will be live-streamed at https://saintcparish.org.

Memorial donations may be sent to your local Humane Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).

Arrangements are entrusted to the Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island.