Viseslav a.k.a "Willy" Djordjevic

Buca was simply a gentle person who was either working hard or having fun.  He came to this country as a baby  from Belgrade and grew up in Portage, Indiana with his parents (Gordana and Miodrag) and sister.  From an early age, he showed an inclination towards machinery, whether he was fixing RC cars and racing them with his best friend Derek, or helping his father, Visko, fix the car.  He loved to put things together (and lots of times to take things apart!)  Willy always had a project, or two, or three, or four, and yes, even five or six projects. He put things togehter, he took things apart, he moved things around....that was Willy.  Sometimes he didn't always clean up the projects, as his Mama was always telling him to do!  "Mama, moran da idem da uradim......."  Always on the move, always planning to do the next project, always working.

 

 If someone needed something done, Willy would do it, no matter how inconvenient or hard.  He helped his parents constantly, doing projects around the house, helping his Tata with all sorts of projects, like planting a tree for Father's day, building a smokehouse to smoke meat, fixing the driveway, cleaning away debris, chopping wood, fixing cars.  One of the big projects he worked on was building an office for his dad, where he put a lot of time and effort to do it just like his Tata would like it.  He was thoughtful in that respect, thinking of other people. 

 

Buca  was the guy that you called if you had a question about how to build a deck, how to fix a transmission, where to purchase materials.  He helped everyone work on all sorts of projects, both big and small.  From laying tile, to building a privacy fence, he was always in the middle of the mix.  

Fixing cars?  A passion for Willy.  We couldn't even count how many vehicles he had spread out throughout the county!  Ten? Twenty? More???  There were Volkswagons, sandrails, dune buggies, four-wheelers...you name it and he worked on it or owned it at some point.....right down to the golf cart he was refurbishing for his dad!

He devoted much his time and energy in building a home for him and Tracy.  He purchased a tiny two bedroom home that he completely renovated and rebuilt into the vision he had, adding may creative and unique touches.....like building a giant four poster bed (to accomodate his large size) and customizing the kitchen cabinets for Tracy.  He was such a craftsman that he refurbished a beautiful jewelry box for Tracy, taking great pride in his work.  

 

He always took time to play with his nieces, Savka and Mila.  Savka especially loved driving with Ujko on his four-wheeler and his sand-rail.  Ujka Buca had all the fun grown-up "toys"---the four wheeler, sand rail, snowmobile, tracktor, truck, etc.  He loved all of his toys and was always adding to his "collection" much to the amusement of his family.  He even bought a mini four wheeler for his wife Tracy so she could share his passion.  They and their friends would go off on weekends to ride on the sand dunes and enjoy each other's company.  Willy was always planning a trip to Silver Lake, where the gang would get together and ride their bikes around.

 

Willy had a quick sense of dry humor.  His sharp one-word comments were legendary.  He had a dry wit that was subtle and refreshing.  He was also the complete "people-person"; The party didn't start until Willy came.  He was the life of the party and he truly enjoyed people.  He always had friends around him.  In fact, he was the center of his circle of friends, "the glue that kept them all together" according to all of his friends.  They were all best buddies since childhood, when they used to play hockey together and ride their dirt bikes around the neighborhood.  Even though they all lived in different areas, somehow they all stayed close because Willy made the effort to be with everyone.  He would plan barbeques, pig-roasts, and simple get-together's all the time.  People were always coming over to his house.  You didn't need an invitation, it was just an open door policy.  And more likely than not, he would be working on a project in his garage.  When he bought his house, he made sure that it had a giant garage because he had so many tools!

 

 And no one can say that he wasn't a hard working guy.  He literally had big hands that handled a lot of different projects.  Growing up, Willy went to St. Sava church and was an alter boy for years with Father John.  He danced in the folklore group and participated in many community activities over the years, such as folklore dances and St. Sava day (where Buca recited the "Sveti Sava" poem for several years in a row because he spoke fluent Serbian)  He made many good friends who, to this day, remained close to him. Buca also played the accordian with his sister and Serbian friends, much to the amusement of other friends.  They joked with him about pulling out the old accordian and playing a few songs.  He was a little embarrased about that, but also joked about it.  He loved music and he loved to have a good time.

 

He was very gifted as a craftsman.  As an example of his wit and love of crafts,  he spontaneously wrote on a block of wood "This is your husband. I am a hillbilly who writes on wood but I love you, your loving husband Viseslav."  It was just a small little piece of wood that exemplies Willy....his humor, his love, his kindness and his thoughtfulness.  There are many more examples, that are too numerous to count.

 

Simply put, if Willy wasn't helping someone, he was having fun.  He enjoyed his job, he loved his wife, he loved his parents, sister and other family and he loved his friends.  That says it all.  He loved life.  He didn't want to leave us.  He had too many projects going on.  He had too many goals.  He had too many dreams.   It is a different world that we live in now, without Willy's wit, his humor, his gentleness. 

He was a really big guy with a sweet disposition and a tender heart. 

Willy, you will certainly be missed beyond words.  We hope that you knows how very loved you have been on this earth and beyond!!

Always loving you, your Family, Kumovi and Friends