1924–2020
York Cemetery
Section A Lot 1433
Born in Serbia, Bora Dragasevich was just 16 when his homeland was engulfed by invasion and civil war in 1941. After the conflict, he joined thousands of Serbian patriots and royalists forced into exile in European refugee camps. In 1948, Bora found freedom and opportunity in Canada, a country he would come to love deeply.
Bora built a successful career as a mechanical technologist with Ontario Hydro, but his true impact was felt in the Serbian community and beyond. He helped found St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Niagara, led choirs and served as president of the Serbian National Shield Society for nearly three decades. For 40 years, he directed Radio Šumadija on CHIN Radio, edited the Voice of Canadian Serbs and championed cultural pride through initiatives like the Nikola Tesla Monument located in Niagara Falls.
His leadership extended nationally. In 1973, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau appointed him to the Canadian Consultative Council for Multiculturalism, and in 1980, he co-founded the Canadian Ethnocultural Council. Bora’s efforts earned him the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and Serbia’s Order of the Crown with Great Cross, First Degree.
Sources:
• Mount Pleasant Group – Bora Dragasevich
• Find a Grave - Borivjoje "Bora" Dragasevich
Photo: Find a Grave
