The UK Honorary Consul in Dubrovnik, Sally Jean Marojica, died
The UK Honorary Consul in Dubrovnik, Sally Jean Marojica died this week. Sara, as she was known to her colleagues and friends, was a consul in Dubrovnik for more than 30 years. HM The Queen made her an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
The UK Honorary Consul in Dubrovnik, Sally Jean Marojica, died this week in the city she had chosen to be her home. Sara, as she was known in Dubrovnik, was an extremely warm person who loved living in the unique setting of Croatia’s medieval walled city, quite different from her native Liverpool.
Sara first came to Dubrovnik in the late 1960’s to work for a British travel agency. She soon fell in love with the city and with Pero Marojica, a florist from a distinguished local family. She decided to stay there as one of the few foreigners living in the city at that time. In the late 1980’s, Sara became the first British honorary consul in Dubrovnik, a job she performed with pride and motivated by genuine willingness to help people in distress.
She was there in Dubrovnik at various points in its recent history: when the war began in Croatia in 1991, seeking refuge in a local hotel when her own home was destroyed in the shelling of the city (there, Sara called on her of her many other talents, as a former ballet dancer, teaching young refugee girls how to dance); when Prince Charles visited the city in 1996; and finally, when Croatia joined the European Union just a few weeks ago. And it was there that she died on 31 July 2013.
Sara was a loyal colleague and friend. Sara left a mark on everyone she met. She was proud of her job, her country and her adopted city. Thousands of British visitors who she helped during her long career have cause to be grateful to Sara for her dedication and compassion. HM The Queen recognised Sara’s service by making her an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), a well deserved award for a loyal friend of UK and Dubrovnik.