Mirko Arbutina

Mirko Arbutina—who went through life known as Mirko, Mike, Dad, Mr. A., and Grandpa—died at home with his wife and family by his side on Sunday, October 9, 2022. He was 89 years old.

Mirko was the only son of the late Peter and Evica “Eva” Arbutina. He was born May 28, 1933, and raised in Midland. Shenanigans, pranks, and benign mischief were at the center of his recollections of growing up on Spring Lane.

He graduated from Midland Area High School in 1951. From 1953 to 1955, he served in the U.S. Army as an M.P. at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He was honorably discharged and his military service became the source of an insatiable interest in World War II history, a mythical “Army cookbook” that was the source of family favorites such as pancake surprise and Marie’s French dressing, and a handful of buddies that became lifelong friends.

A people person before that became a thing, Mike loved a good time, good stories, good jokes, and good food. He started his career with the New York Central Railroad and ended it with the Vollrath Company, retiring after 26 years, the last 22 as a regional sales manager. After he retired, he transported cars for Enterprise, volunteered to fry fish at the Elks Club in Rochester, was a lousy (or was it unlucky?) poker player, perpetually worked on his golf game, and faithfully served his church, St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Midland, as a trustee and member of its “noodles and strudels” crew.

Mike attended Grove City College and graduated in 1959. It was there that he first spotted Joy Reed, who at the time was too busy with her studies, her cheerleading schedule, and her boyfriend to be bothered with this tall, gangly guy with the funny name. After the cheerleader graduated from Grove City, fate had her sharing an apartment with another Grove City graduate who happened to be dating Mirko’s roommate. Romance bloomed, and the two were married on June 28, 1959, at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Midland. They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary earlier this year. Forever and ever, their daughter will always think of her parents as having jitterbugged through life.

Dad was friendly, honest, hardworking, and beloved by his family—his wife, Joy; his daughter, Christine, and her husband, Mark; his sons, Tod and Brad, and their wives Tawnya and Stefanie; and his grandsons, Mirko, Cole, and Reed. He was his children’s biggest booster, the kind of dad who arranged his travel schedule to be there for his boys’ basketball games, and the kind of husband who called home every night when he was on the road to check in on what was happening with his wife and kids.

So many memories will be treasured from this day on—vacations on the Outer Banks these past 30 years; Memorial Day weekends and many days spent at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland; traveling to Cedar Point every summer when the kids were young with family friends, the Schleiters, the Sullivans, and the Nolls; winters spent on Florida’s Gulf Coast; and trips to Slovenia and Croatia with his mother and with Chris and Tod and Gwen, the family’s adopted aunt. He made pots of beans and sauerkraut that were as good as his mother’s and a prime rib and ham holiday hash that made the day after Christmas worth waking up for.

He was selfless—each of his kids can tell you of multiple times he went out of his way to show up for them when they needed him there. He adored his wife. He was generous, loved to laugh, and instilled his pride in his Serbian heritage into his children who lovingly called him Super Serb. Most importantly, he was a man who sought out his Lord, studied the Word, and was committed to his faith. Our family will never be the same without him at the head of the table.

Friends will be received Thursday, October 13, 2022, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Noll Funeral Home, Inc., 333 Third St., Beaver, with a Pomen service to take place at 7:30 p.m. A funeral service will be conducted Friday, October 14, 2022, at 11 a.m. at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, Midland. Interment, with full military honors, will follow at the Beaver Cemetery Mausoleum. Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.

Memorial gifts may be made in his name to St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, 30 10th Street, Midland, PA.

Joy, Chris, Tod, and Brad want to thank the compassionate staff at Amedisys Hospice, especially nurse Steven and aide Lisa, who provided care, kindness, and understanding to Dad and our entire family and brought us all great peace.