Josip Knežević, a prominent Croatian émigré, longtime community leader, and tireless advocate for Croatian freedom and unity, passed away in New York on August 7, 2026, in his 97th year.
Born in 1930 in Crkvice near Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip devoted more than half a century of his life to the Croatian community in New York and to maintaining strong ties between Croatian émigrés and their homeland.
Over the decades, he was active in numerous Croatian organizations, including the Croatian Workers’ Association in Paris, United American Croatians, Croatian Academy of America, Croatian Radio Club, Croatian Fraternal Union (CFU), Croatian National Council, Central Committee of Croatian Societies of New York, and the Croatian Cultural Society “Napredak.” He was also deeply involved in the Croatian Catholic community centered around Sts. Cyril & Methodius Croatian Catholic Church and Croatian Catholic Center in New York.
Josip served as President of Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 789 “Free Croatia” in New York. Through the Lodge, he and his fellow members organized Dr. Franjo Tuđman’s important 1988 gathering with the Croatian community at the Croatian Center in Manhattan.
In 1999, Josip was elected the founding President of the New York Branch of the Croatian Cultural Society “Napredak,” the organization’s first branch on the American continent. He was later recognized as its Honorary President.
During the Croatian War of Independence and the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip was actively involved in humanitarian efforts and also served through the Committee for Aid to Herzeg-Bosnia and the Committee for Aid to Central Bosnia, helping organize financial and humanitarian assistance, including aid intended for his native Zenica.
His life was marked by a profound love for his family, Croatia, the Croatian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Croatian diaspora. He belonged to a generation of Croatian émigrés who worked for decades to preserve Croatian identity and who ultimately lived to see the establishment of a free and internationally recognized Croatian state.
May he be remembered with eternal gratitude and rest in peace.
Visitation
Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 3:00–7:00 p.m.
Frederick Funeral Home
192-15 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11358
(718) 357-6100
Funeral Mass
Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
Sts. Cyril & Methodius Croatian Catholic Church
502 West 41st St., New York, NY 10036
Author: Kresimir Spoljar
