Mary Helen Zelkovich Domijan
December 8, 1936 – January 21, 2022
Mary Helen Zelkovich Domijan was born to Peter and Mary Zelkovich (nee Pecekovic/Rosich) in Chicago, Illinois. She was born in the midst of the Depression and gifted with a breath-taking inner and outer beauty. Both her parents had emigrated from what is now the country of Croatia, but was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Mary Helen treasured her Croatian roots and culture. She was baptized at St. Jerome Catholic Church at 29th and Princeton and celebrated many an August 15th and Lenten bakalar dinner there, dancing kolos to tamburitza bands.
Her parents owned a restaurant and tavern at 64th and Wentworth. Mary Helen, her two older brothers Pete and Johnny, and her younger sister Theresa, all grew up on the second floor of their parents’ brick two flat on Garfield Boulevard, two doors down from the railroad viaduct. With no relatives in the US, the Zelkovich kids became very close, and attracted a huge network of friends. During her entire life, no matter where she lived, Mary Helen was a Chicago gal, a proud South Sider in her heart and soul. She regaled family and friends with stories of the tightly knit community on “the Boulevard,” and of how that boulevard, the alleys, gangways, viaduct, and high supports for signboards were her playground. She loved Lake Michigan, swam the breakwater, and knew the museums, parks, and libraries like the back of her hand. Saturdays were spent with hundreds of other kids at the Southshore or Halfield Movie Theaters, setting the groundwork for her encyclopedic knowledge of old movies and stars.
During WWII her parents sponsored and housed a steady stream of refugees in the flat on Garfield Boulevard. The Zelkovich kids rarely slept in their own beds during that time. Mary Helen reveled in the people who came through her home and helped both adults and children learn English. She particularly enjoyed sitting around the dining room table engaging in heady discussions with the new arrivals, who included doctors, lawyers, and an opera singer, whom she accompanied on the piano so he could vocalize, to the delight of the neighbors. For the rest of her life, Mary Helen’s attitude was, “the more the merrier,” and her homes were always open and filled with love, laughter, food and music.
Mary Helen graduated from Visitation Grammar School and High School. She excelled in music, dance, language, and literature. She was a phenomenal pianist who played with panache and made the most of her perfect ear. She often played the organ in the Visitation Church choir loft. Mary Helen attended Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa on a music scholarship and transferred to Marquette University. She was married to Peter Meegan from 1957 to 1985. In the early 1960s Mary Helen’s parents moved to Lake Villa, Illinois to start a new liquor store and tavern business called Pete and Mary’s. It was family run and a uniquely family oriented business. To help her parents, Mary Helen tended bar nearly every weekday, talking with and entertaining the customers, especially her beloved WWII vets.
Mary Helen loved children and they sensed it. In addition to her own four, she often had nieces, nephews, and friends staying with her for days or weeks at a time. She was a fabulous party planner, and hosted epic 4th of July parties that went on for days. She was an unflappable host. Mary Helen had an elegance and an artist’s aesthetic that was evident in whatever she turned her hand to: fashion, cooking, baking, gardening, drawing, painting, sewing, and fine needlework. She also had no pretensions. She was light-hearted, funny, easy to laughter, and irreverent.
Mary Helen married Hubie Domijan in 1986, and together they built Hubie’s stone masonry business until his retirement. She and Hubie were active, involved, and adoring grandparents to all her grandchildren, as well as many of her grandchildren’s friends. In 2000, she and her daughter Maureen opened Seaganka, an ethnic-eclectic boutique in Wicker Park. It became a magnet for creatives, LGBTQ, immigrants, and spiritual seekers.
After 20 years in Oak Park, Mary Helen spent the last two years of her life in Denver near her daughter Maureen. She loved the mountains and found peace in the ancient Red Rocks.
Mary Helen adored traveling, especially meeting people. She was a free spirit with a strong sense of justice and fairness. In addition to her soft spot for children, she was a champion of the elderly and underdogs. Mary Helen strongly supported women’s rights issues and the environment. She was authentic, generous, and had a unique gift of being able to see and connect with the humanity in each person she met. She made everyone feel special and important.
Mary Helen was a loving and magnificent mother to her children, Mary Meegan (Michael Casey), Pete Meegan (Peggy), Maureen Meegan (Will Sarni), and Sean Meegan (the late Christine), adoring grandmother to Audrey Kenyon (Jake), Daniel Meegan (Rachel Johnson), Jack Casey, Tommy Casey, Tim Casey, Seana Meegan, the late Seamus Meegan, James Sarni (Valerie), Thomas Sarni (Noelia Batiz), and Charles Sarni, proud great-grandmother to Melvin Meegan and Harrison Sarni, loving devoted sister to the late Pete Zelkovich (the late Teresa) and his son Jerome, the late John Zelkovich (Kathy who has been more a sister than sister-in-law) and their son Bill, and her adored little sister Theresa (Ronnie) Rederer. Mary Helen was a loving and fun aunt to her beloved host of Meegan nieces and nephews. She was a loyal and cherished friend to so many.
Per Mary Helen’s wishes, she will be water-cremated and a memorial celebration will be held at a later date.
Family and friends are encouraged to sign a guest book and share stories, photos and condolences at: http://www.never-gone.com/memorials/maryhelenzelkovichdomijan
Make a Donation
Memorial contributions can be made to the water resource education program Project WET
