October 4, 1944 – January 1, 2021 Your Mother Is Always With You Unknown She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street. She’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick, the fragrance of life itself. She’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well. She’s your breath in the air on a cold winters’ day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow. She is Christmas morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter. She’s the place you come from, your first home. She’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy. But nothing on Earth can separate you. Not time. Not space. Not even death.
A beloved mother, wife and friend, Ljiljana Banicevic passed away at the age of 76 on January 1st, 2021. Selfless and unfailingly kind, she devoted her life to her family, including her husband of 51 years, Nedeljko (Nedo) and her daughters, Mirjana and Anita. Born in Cacak, Serbia, Ljiljana married Nedo in 1969 and immigrated from Montenegro in 1974 to join Nedo in Canada. Together, Ljiljana and Nedo sought to build a better life for their daughters in Hamilton. The bravery it took to leave family and friends behind and move to a foreign country where they neither spoke the language nor had a family support network is something we are forever grateful for.
While English was not her first language, Ljiljana always found a way to communicate her kindness, love and good humour. For her family and friends, her love was evident in all the hours she spent cooking and caring for everyone, as well as her hugs and even more food. Eat, eat, was a common refrain (at all times and for all guests). For her grandchildren, whom she adored (some might say they were her favourites), her unconditional love was ever present in her abundant hugs, kisses, shiny loonies and toonies to collect or spend as well as multiple cakes and chocolate croissants. Her sense of adventure led her to enjoy time in Montreal and Mexico when Nedo’s employment offered the opportunity.
A movie buff who particularly enjoyed old Westerns and classics, she always impressed upon her children the importance of education and a good book. Ljiljana will be dearly missed by her husband, Nedo, her sister Snezana Krstic (Vladimir), her daughters Mirjana, Anita (Stephen), and her grandchildren Bobby and Mika.
A private service was held in Ancaster, Ontario on January 6th. If you are considering a donation in her memory, please consider directing it to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.