Mike

Vrkic

Mike "Miso" Vrkic
January 10, 1949 – October 3, 2025

Mike "Miso" Vrkic passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. He was surrounded by his loving wife and three daughters in his final moments.

Born in Zadar, Croatia, to Simica and Ante Vrkic, Miso was one of eight children and remained deeply connected to his siblings — Pavle, Mile, Marco, Luka, Seme, Ante, and Mara — throughout his life. In 1969, he emigrated to the United States, bringing with him the values of hard work, perseverance, and deep devotion to family that defined his life.

He married his beloved wife Dina "Dinca" Vrkic, and together they shared 53 wonderful years of marriage built on love, loyalty, and partnership. They raised three daughters — Diane, Michele, and Jeanette — who were his greatest pride and joy.

Miso found profound happiness in his role as a father and father-in-law to Diane and Dan Loflin, Michele and Jarod Rupp, and Jeanette and Nick Charles, and to his cherished grandchildren Jackson Charles, Parker Loflin, Ben Charles, Ethan Rupp, Evelyn Rupp, and Ashton Rupp, whose laughter and energy brought him endless delight.

A man of integrity, intelligence, and quiet determination, Miso owned and operated Star Finishing in Newark, New Jersey, where he earned the respect of his peers and coworkers through hard work and unwavering dedication.

He loved Croatian football, long drives with his family, summers at the Jersey Shore, and returning to his beloved Croatia to reconnect with family including all his beloved nieces and nephews. He carried his homeland in his heart, even as he built a life and legacy in America.

Miso will be remembered for his warmth, humility, intellect and enduring love for his family — qualities that defined his every day. His spirit lives on in the people he loved and the family he built. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered with love.