Ted Milovich

    SPRING GLEN-The last of the Coal City boys headed for home: July 24, 2018.  Born in Bingham Canyon, October 1, 1928 to Serbian/Croatian immigrants Iso (Isaac) Milovich and Milica Demich Milovich, Ray Ted Milovich was #12 of 14 children. As if life wasn’t hard enough for this family, and it was, Iso was killed in Bingham Canyon when Ted was only 7 years old.
    His mother did her best to establish a home in Coal City, Carbon County, for her 12 living children.  The band of Milovich brothers was dubbed “the Coal City boys”.  Everyone in the family learned quickly to do whatever was necessary to survive which meant working wherever work was available and bringing their money home to “ma”. As a child, Ted worked the summers on the mountain at a sheep camp until he was 14 and considered old enough to go to the mines 3 days a week.
    Ted learned English in the first grade in what for him was an English Immersion program long before immersion programs were a thing.  He spoke the Serbian language in his home and learned some Greek at sheep camp.
    His mom was determined that her children not grow up to be “hoodlums”. They all learned to work hard and solve problems with severely limited resources.  Ted was the only member of his family to get a college education.  His natural talent for football made that possible.  He played football at BYU and Utah State where his coach called him “golden toes” as he was an excellent bare foot kicker.  He always considered himself an Aggie.  Ted’s golden toes extended from the football field to the dance floor.  He was an elegant dancer and especially loved to polka.
    Following in the footsteps of his 6 older brothers who served in WWII, Ted served his country in Korea. That was a tough season and something he seldom talked about.  After returning from Korea, he met Charlene Matekovic and they married in August 1955.  They are parents to three children:  Kelle, Todd, and Scott.
    Ted built a home for his family with the help of his brothers in Spring Glen where he kept a small farm. He had a soft place in his heart for animals.  He loved his hay fields as well as his large garden and orchard. For most of his life, Ted kept a small herd of sheep and provided legs of lamb to his family and extended family for years of Sunday dinners.
    To support his family, Ted worked at the Castle Gate power plant, then focused his career in education, teaching at Mt. Harmon Jr High School.  He worked summers in the coal mines or taught at the Job Corps.  He finished his career as a coal mine inspector with MSHA.          
    Ted was an active Mason, serving twice as Master of Joppa Lodge in Price and received the Hyrum Award.  He loved his association with his fellow Masons, Eastern Star, and El Kalah Shrine brothers.
    The mountains always called to Ted, so a crowning joy in his life was the cabin he and Charlene built together at Scofield.  They dug sagebrush by hand, sanded logs, stained, painted, and did everything necessary to complete their cabin, rightly named “At Last”.  Ted loved their mountain retreat, welcomed friends and family, and took great pleasure in watching his grandchildren and great grandchildren tromp around the mountain.  He instilled a love of nature, soil, and animals deep into the souls of each member of his posterity.
    He was a good man, loyal and true.  Ted considered himself a Yaki Serb (a very strong man of Serbian descent), and in his last, difficult months reassured Charlene, “don’t worry for me.  I’m a Yaki Serb!”  He tried so hard to be strong even when all strength had been long spent.  His wisdom and strength are summed up in the simple life lessons he taught his children.  Whenever we fell out of the tree, crashed our bikes, or got thrown from the horse, he simply said: “walk it off”, “it’s just a scratch”, or “it’ll feel better when it quits hurting”.
    Ted valued work and family all the days of his life and felt truly blessed.  He was greeted by those who went before him: father, mother; 8 brothers, John, Nick, George, Sam, Mike, Lux, Steve, and Pete; 5 sisters, Jelisavka, Mary, Helen, Sophie, and Angie; as well as many brothers and sisters in law.
    Ted leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Charlene, and children: Kelle (Larry) Stephens, Todd (Chiyo), and Scott (Lisa); Grandchildren whom he adored:  Tamami, Cade, Leigh, Amee, and Isaac, 14 great grandchildren who delighted him; and numerous nieces and nephews.
    Funeral service, Thursday, July 26, 2018, 11:00 a.m. Mitchell Funeral Home (233 East Main Street) in Price where the family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be in the Masonic section of the Price City Cemetery.    To honor Ted Milovich, please consider a generous donation to the Shriners Hospital at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/give/158250/?utm_
source= shcsaltlakecity-fb#!/donation/checkout or 1275 E Fairfax Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84103.