Zvonko Knez

The boy from Zagreb — before the border, the ship, and a whole new world.

The youngest of six

Zagreb, Croatia · 1934–1950

Zvonko Knez was born on 6 March 1934 in Zagreb, Croatia — then part of Yugoslavia — the youngest of six children, to his mother Terezija Šepić and his father Ivan Knez. School never held him; he made it to about Primary 4.The cherry trees, though, held him completely — he loved to climb them, and was known for helping himself to the next-door neighbour's fruit as well.

The road out — Zagreb to Trieste, three nights hidden under a cliff.

Sixteen, and gone

Zagreb → Trieste · 1950–1951

At just sixteen, he told his mother he was leaving home, and that he would never see her again. He left with an older friend who carried a gun, and together they crossed from Yugoslavia into Italy — spending three days and three nights hiding on a ledge beneath a cliff while an Italian sentry paced the top.If they had been seen, they would have been shot. But, as his wife would later put it, he was too cunning for that. They reached a refugee camp in Trieste, and at night went to the Catholic church and raided the donation box just to get by.

He arrived with only the clothes on his back — and, soon enough, a shovel in his hands

The ship that was meant for Canada

Trieste → Auckland · 1951

Zvonko thought he was going to Canada. Instead he boarded the refugee ship Goya, which landed in New Zealand on 1 May 1951 — with only the clothes on his back.In Auckland, Father Marinović took him under his wing at the Catholic church in Ponsonby. His first job was delivering firewood from the trucks for people with open fires; then he moved on to the Alex Harvey tin and metal factory at the bottom of Albert Street. He could hardly speak a word of English.

The girl who couldn't look away — and the boy from Zagreb who made sure she never had to.

The most handsome man at the table

Grey Lynn, Auckland · 1951–1955

At the factory worked a mother — a loving, nurturing woman who felt for the foreign boys who couldn't speak English. She invited Zvonko and his friend Louis to Sunday dinner at her home on Old Mill Road, Grey Lynn.When her daughter Joyce saw Zvonko sitting at the table, she flipped — she said she had never seen anyone so handsome, and fell in love with him on the spot. They married in January 1955, and eventually had three children: Rina, Alfred and Tanya.

Bundled up, piled in, and off on another family adventure.

The family years

Auckland · 1955–1970s

Growing up, the family shared treasured everyday adventures with their dad — camping trips to Taipā, days at the races and days at the beach, nights at the speedway, wrestling matches, the Easter show, and strawberry picking as a family every single year.Zvonko was a good cook, and they spent many hours together making jars of strawberry jam. He also taught the kids to drive — intense lessons, full of yelling and tears; Rina once jumped out of the car and walked home, and swore off driving with him after that.But she got her licence proudly on the day she turned fifteen, and he trusted her with his work van to ferry her friends to the local discos. Strict, but always fair.

A window cleaner, a takeaway owner, and the first person you'd ring when you were stuck.

Straight up, stuck in

Auckland · 1960s–1990s

Zvonko was a hardworking man — straight up, didn't muck around, got stuck in, and always provided for his family, making sure they were secure.He worked as a commercial window cleaner, and then he and his wife owned a takeaway business for a number of years.More than that, he was generous: the kind of man you could always depend on. If you needed to borrow his car, borrow some money, or needed a babysitter at short notice — "you could count on Dad".

To his grandchildren he was Dida — the one who stepped up as Santa when no one else would.

Dida

Auckland · 1980s–2013

To his grandchildren, he was simply "Dida" — a constant, loving presence who would do anything for them. When New Windsor School needed a Santa Claus one year and no parent volunteered, Zvonko stepped up and took on the role — and got happily mobbed the moment he arrived.He was one mean poker player who could beat anyone hands down, loved his horses and the races, and loved his soccer. As his grandchildren grew, they loved him dearly in return, and would do anything for him.

together hand in hand for ten happy years.

Blue eyes on the ferry

Drvenik → Auckland · 2003–2013

In 2003, on a holiday back to Croatia, Zvonko was on the ferry from Drvenik to Sućuraj when he was introduced to Marika, who was from Slovakia — and it was, in his own words, love at first sight.Marika loved his blue eyes. They met again over dinner at Tony's café [in Sućuraj], danced together, and fell in love; they married in Auckland in February 2005 and shared ten happy years, hand in hand.In May 2013, the two travelled back to Croatia and Slovakia for three months — to Marika's son Rudo's wedding, then to Hungary to visit her daughter Tinka — returning at the end of August. That September, the family gathered to celebrate his first wife's 80th birthday.

The women of his life carried him out — into the hands of the men who would carry him on.

The other side of the veil

Mercy Hospice, Auckland · October - December 2013

Only seven weeks after that birthday, in mid-October 2013, Zvonko was diagnosed with lymphoma, already at an advanced stage. It came as a shock to everyone.After a short battle, he passed away peacefully on Sunday, 8 December 2013, at the Mercy Hospice Auckland, surrounded by his loving family.He was an outgoing man who loved life, loved to dance, and loved a good laugh — and that is how he will always be remembered.A portion of his ashes were scattered among the trees along Manukau Road, Epsom, beside the Alexandra Park raceway he loved — a fitting place for a man who lived life fully.(Acknowledged with love: his family in Croatia — Auntie Ivka, his oldest sister, and cousins Josip, Ante, Maria and Dunja; and Marika's family in Slovakia — Rudo and Tinka.)

Early Days

From humble beginnings to the early years that shaped his life.

Family Life

Years filled with love, laughter, and the family he built.

Our Dida

His later years, surrounded by the grandchildren who loved him — and a spirit that will always stay with us.

Memorial Video

Moments that capture his spirit, humour, and the love he shared.

Zvonko Knez - A Life Remembered

Moments From His Funeral

Moments to be treasured forever.

A portion of Zvonko's ashes were scattered amongst the trees along Manukau Road, Epsom, Auckland — beside the Alexandra Park Raceway he loved. A peaceful and fitting resting place for a man who lived life fully.

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We have been truly blessed to have Zvonko Knez as our father and grandfather.
He will forever live on in our hearts.

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