Arborist, 40, dies in freak accident on the job
Milenko Doroslovac
Family photo
Milenko Doroslovac
Waterloo Region Record
KITCHENER — Family and friends of a Kitchener arborist are grieving his death after a freak on-the-job accident this week.
Milenko Doroslovac, 40, died in hospital Friday after falling roughly nine metres from a tree Thursday in Mississauga. As he was cutting branches, it appears that Doroslovac accidentally snipped his own safety line with his chainsaw, his family said.
When paramedics arrived, he was suffering from a head injury and was in a life-threatening condition. He was airlifted to St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, where he later died.
Doroslovac, the son of Serbian immigrants, was born in Kitchener and grew up in the city and, as a teenager, in the New Hamburg area. He leaves behind a pregnant wife, Maria, and an infant daughter, Alexandra.
He and his brother Toza Doroslovac grew up doing roofing work, cutting trees and hauling wood around the region, his brother said.
"We used to chop trees down with my dad at a young age. We helped him split wood and helped him make ends meet," Toza Doroslovac said. "We were raised that way, to work hard."
A millwright by trade, Milenko left his job at Magna Corp. and started his own tree maintenance company, Westmount Tree Services, about a year ago. He used the company to give a job and a second chance to recovering addicts, a struggle he himself had overcome.
"He was a leader. People loved to follow him. He had a magnetic personality," Toza Doroslovac said.
Milenko, who was well-known in the local Serbian community, was part of a touring folk dancing group, played soccer for local rep teams and Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School and had a black belt in tae-kwon-do, his brother said. And he had a natural aptitude for figuring things out.
"He loved fixing things, he loved taking things apart," Toza Doroslovac said. "He was very smart, one of those people who didn't have to open up a book."
His family is struggling to make sense of what happened Thursday, saying Milenko didn't take chances on the job. The Ministry of Labour is investigating, too.
"Apparently he was up on the tree and he was limbing and he ended up cutting through his lanyard and he came down," said his cousin, Ljuba Radonic. "It's hard to understand."
He said he'll miss his cousin's charisma and distinctive laugh.
"He was just one of those guys that lit up a room when he walked into it," Radonic said.
Toza Doroslovac, meanwhile, said he's been overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief for his young brother.
"People just loved him. Once you met him, he wasn't forgotten," he said.
Funeral details were not available at press time.
gmercer@therecord.com Man dies after falling from tree
Peel EMS said the man fell roughly nine metres.
A man in his 30s is dead after falling roughly nine metres from a tree Thursday in the Mississauga Rd. and QEW area, according to Peel Regional Police.
They said the man was an arborist who was working on Heartwood Crt. when the incident happened. They said the incident is being treated as a workplace accident and the Ministry of Labour has been called.
Paramedics from Peel EMS said the man suffered an injury to the head and was in life-threatening condition. He was then airlifted to St. Michael’s Hospital, where he later died.
Obituary for Milenko Doroslovac
Doroslovac, Milenko "Bebika":
Surrounded by his family, Milenko passed away peacefully, at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto on Friday, August 30, 2013 at the age of 40.
Beloved husband of 11 years to Maria. Loving father of Alexandra and his unborn child due in February, 2014. Cherished son of Branislav and Nada. Dear brother of Toza (Tyne) Doroslovac. Cika to Branin and Adriana. Loving grandson to his Baba, Danica. Son-in-law to Vicci and the late Christos Koufatzis. Brother-in-law to Athina (Ted) Nikolakakos. Theio of Stefan and Christos. He will be dearly missed by his many relatives and friends around the world.
He was a millwright by trade, starting his career at Weston's Bakery, where he still worked while establishing his business as an arborist.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Milenko's family at the Henry Walser Funeral Home, 507 Frederick St. Kitchener (519-749-8467) on Tuesday 7-9pm and Wednesday from 1-4pm and 7-9pm with prayers at 8 pm. The Funeral Service for Milenko will be held at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, 700 Fisher Hallman Rd. Kitchener on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 10am.
Burial in Pine Hills Cemetery, Toronto.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to the children's education trust fund would be appreciated by the family in lieu of flowers.
A special thank you to our relatives and friends for their outstanding support to our family during this difficult time.
visit www.henrywalser.com for Milenko's memorial.
Surrounded by his family, Milenko passed away peacefully, at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto on Friday, August 30, 2013 at the age of 40.
Beloved husband of 11 years to Maria. Loving father of Alexandra and his unborn child due in February, 2014. Cherished son of Branislav and Nada. Dear brother of Toza (Tyne) Doroslovac. Cika to Branin and Adriana. Loving grandson to his Baba, Danica. Son-in-law to Vicci and the late Christos Koufatzis. Brother-in-law to Athina (Ted) Nikolakakos. Theio of Stefan and Christos. He will be dearly missed by his many relatives and friends around the world.
He was a millwright by trade, starting his career at Weston's Bakery, where he still worked while establishing his business as an arborist.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Milenko's family at the Henry Walser Funeral Home, 507 Frederick St. Kitchener (519-749-8467) on Tuesday 7-9pm and Wednesday from 1-4pm and 7-9pm with prayers at 8 pm. The Funeral Service for Milenko will be held at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church, 700 Fisher Hallman Rd. Kitchener on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 10am.
Burial in Pine Hills Cemetery, Toronto.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to the children's education trust fund would be appreciated by the family in lieu of flowers.
A special thank you to our relatives and friends for their outstanding support to our family during this difficult time.
visit www.henrywalser.com for Milenko's memorial.
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