Zorica "Koka" Crisp

After a prolonged battle with a chronic illness, Zorica (“Dawn”) Crisp (nee Jankovic) succumbed peacefully on January 12, 2024. Known as Koka to her family, Zorica was born August 18, 1941 to Nasto and Ljubica Jankovic in Serbia. After leaving her native Serbia at the conclusion of World War II, she resettled with her parents and sister, Radosava ,along with her beloved doll “Johnny” in England, where she would meet her husband, Anthony (deceased). After immigrating to the United States on the Queen Elizabeth ocean-liner in the early 1960s, she moved to Chicago, married Anthony and started her family with the birth of her oldest son, Andrew. In the late 1960s, Zorica established her home in Palatine, her home for over 50 years, where her youngest son, Rob, was born. Having spent several decades in the travel industry, Zorica loved to travel, enjoying trips to Europe, the Caribbean, Hawaii and many other fascinating locales, often joined by her children, sister, nieces, nephew or a group of great travel industry colleagues, including Regina Slowjowski. Her sons, nieces and nephew will always treasure the trips to her family vacation home in Anna Maria Island, Florida, including the day trips to Disney World, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and dinners at Fast Eddie’s. She was a loving mother to Andrew (Raquel) and Rob (Meghan) and a beloved Grammy to Colin and Andrea. She was also a loving aunt to Steven (Suzanne) Delich, Olga (Pete) Pomplin and Donna (Rick) Shawtell, great-aunt to Jakob and Grace Delich, Annie and Stephanie Pomplin and Tiffany Shawtell, the much-loved tetka to Milan Blagojevic and sestra to Vesna Blagojevic. She will be missed by her family and loved ones and will reunite with her mother, Ljubica, her father, Nasto, and her sister Radosava (Lala), all of whom preceded her in death. Visitation 12:30 p.m. at New Gracanica Monastery, 35240 West Grant Avenue in Third Lake, Illinois, on the 19th of January, 2024. Opelo (Funeral Service) will be held at 1 p.m., followed by interment in New Gracanica Cemetery. Luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Zorica’s memory to the Scleroderma Research Foundation (https://srfcure.org) or the Novak Djokovic Foundation (https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org). Arrangements entrusted to Muzyka & Son Funeral Home. For more information, please call (773) 545-3800.

Zorica "Koka" Crisp

August 18, 1941 - January 12, 2024