Eva Kresic (nee Klein), aged 90, of Somers, NY passed away on Tuesday, August 26th at Northern Westchester Hospital of Mount Kisco. At the time of her passing she was surrounded by her husband, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Eva was born in Zagreb, Croatia (Yugoslavia) on July 20, 1935. She was the daughter of Ignatz and Marta Klein (nee Neumann) and the younger sister of Erna Barta (1926-2020). She recently celebrated her 69th anniversary with her beloved husband, Miljenko (Mark) Kresic.
A loving mother to Mladen Kresic and Daniela Combe and their respective spouses, Maryjane and Ralph, she was a dedicated matriarch and role model to the entire family. Eva was eternally positive, a trait that she instilled in her children and 6 grandchildren: Briana (Isaac), William (Lyndsay), Marlise (Chad), Jacob, Alexander, and Meredith.
She was always delighted to be in the presence of her little great grandchildren, who already learned to call her "Baka" (Croatian for grandma) Isaac, Isabel, Quinn, Viggo, and Liana.
As a young Jewish child and survivor of Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia in WWII, fear, malnourishment and persecution were the features of her childhood environment. Yet emerging from that world, she rose above and became a force of positive energy every step forward. In post-war Croatia she forged a path through medical school and became a pediatrician, choosing to dedicate her life to the wellbeing of children. In 1969, seeing a grim future in Yugoslavia, she and Miljenko chose to immigrate to the United States with their young family. This meant she had to requalify to practice medicine despite already being a doctor, and much of her training had to be redone. Moving halfway across the world, learning a new language, working / studying 20 hours a day, and raising two children became matter of fact for Eva. Even in this environment, it was her nature to go above and beyond, always serving as a source of energy and activity for the family. She raised a beautiful and successful family, and as early as 1973 became a partner in the Nassau Queens medical group doing what she loved - helping children thrive and live healthier lives.
She was incredibly feisty, never taking no for an answer. Of course, as a 7-year-old this meant she had to be rescued playing in the Adriatic in her birthday suit while war was raging around her. As an adult this meant she was open to new ideas, foods, and travel to far corners of the world with her husband and friends. She loved skiing both at home and abroad, especially at Belleayre Mountain, where her children learned and where Mark and Eva bought a ski house fifty years ago.
One of Eva's many passions was music. At age 20, she became a singer in the renowned Moshe Pijade choir through which she traveled around Europe and Israel, and, more importantly, met Miljenko, the love of her life. When they moved to the US, they became avid members of the Met and Carnegie Hall and have enjoyed musical performances to this day. Though she was known for never sitting still, her home still flourishes with the flowers and plants she patiently cared for. And, of course, her Viennese baking is the stuff of legends – especially to her grandchildren.
Eva was loving, driven, kind, and resilient and her light will continue to live in each of us.
In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate a donation in Eva's name to the following: www.nwhconnect.org/grateful
Miljenko and the family will sit Shiva on Friday and again on Sunday between Noon and 4PM (note hours) at Mark and Eva's home at 805 B Heritage Hills, Somers NY.
funeral: Family and friends were invited to honor Eva's life and legacy at a service beginning at 10AM on Thursday, August 28th at the King David Chapels at Cassidy Flynn Funeral Home, located at 288 Main Street in Mount Kisco, NY. A zoom link to the service was provided for the many remote and overseas family and friends.
This service was followed by a blessing and burial at Mount Moriah Jewish Cemetery at 685 Fairview Ave, Fairview, NJ 07022.
For those attending the burial there was a Celebration of Life lunch at Tutto a Modo Mio at 482 Bergen Blvd, Ridgefield, NJ 07657.
