Philip Dimitrijevic

Philip Dimitrijevic, age 25, of Montville, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Born in Pompton Plains, Phil lived in North Arlington and Butler before moving to Basking Ridge where he played football for the Ridge High School Red Devils, graduating with the Class of 2011. He had been living with his dad, mom, and younger brother in Montville since 2016.

Phil attended the Raritan Valley Community College Automotive Technology Program where he earned a certification as an automotive technician. After graduating, he worked as an auto body mechanic before joining the family business, VPV Electric, as a commercial electrician.

From a very young age, Phil had displayed a strong-willed and stubborn personality. As he entered adulthood, he developed a perspective which ran, in many ways, against the grain, but was always expressed with the highest degree of respect. He believed in complete freedom of expression and encouraged everyone to allow their true selves to shine. One of Phil’s favorite manners of self-expression were his tattoos - his creed, “Family First”, was tattooed on his left forearm.

Despite his rebelliousness, Phil always maintained a warm spirit and a larger-than-life personality. People from all walks of life were drawn to him. It wasn’t surprising that the question “Is Phil going to be there?” preceded nearly every family event. It never mattered how old or young you were, Phil had the unique ability to relate to anyone. One minute, he was an old soul projecting wisdom that usually only comes through a lifetime of experience, and the next, he’s a big kid on the floor with the little ones perfectly comfortable in their world. He could play with them for hours, genuinely committed to making them happy. Beat Phil up? No problem. Give him a crazy makeover complete with orange hair? Go ahead and take pictures while you’re at it.

Phil had a heart of gold and a constant desire to help. In high school, he was assigned hat knitting for prematurely born babies at the Morristown Memorial Hospital as disciplinary action. However, what started out as a disciplinary tactic turned into something Phil truly embraced and excelled at. He was the only boy in the group, and his hats always turned out to be works of both love and art. Phil was one to stop in the middle of the night to help change a tire for a stranger. Phil was the one friends called to help move at midnight. Phil was the one willing to drive a rent-a-truck all the way to Miami to help a family start a new life. Countless acts like these are what cemented him as a real legend among friends and family.

With a heart as big as his stature (known to many as “Big Phil” for good reason), receiving a hug from him was like getting hugged by an angel, and he always made you feel loved and safe; as long as he had you in his embrace, everything would be okay. Phil was a people-person in the purest sense - he was loved and respected by all who encountered his loving spirit.

On Phil’s last family vacation, he and his father rode motorcycles from Phoenix to San Francisco - the trip of lifetime. Following a long day of riding in blistering heat and sun, Phil couldn’t wait to go out and mingle with locals while his father was resting. A month later, while riding back home on the east coast, Phil sustained a serious leg injury from an accident in which he was T-boned by a car. While the recuperation was an arduous journey, Phil’s remarkable spirit and motivation allowed him to recover without a hiccup; it seemed all the love he’d been sending out to the world throughout his life had come back and given him the strength to bounce back.

Phil’s life philosophy was, in his own words: “Never take life too seriously - be sure to cherish and enjoy every moment.” Phil always paved his own way through life and sought to encourage anyone who happened to cross his path, whether they were longtime friends or complete strangers, to do the same. He convinced those around him that the paths of worry and stress were not the paths we should choose. Instead, we should seek those that let us enjoy the beautiful world we live in and share our lives with the people we love.

“Legends Never Die”

Phil is survived by his most loving parents Vlado “Val” and Aleksandra Dimitrijevic of Montville; his dear brother of Petar of Montville; his maternal grandmother Rada Opalic of Croatia, paternal grandmother Vera Peric and husband Slobodan of Venice, FL, and adoptive grandmother Natasa Graure of Basking Ridge; many uncles and aunts including: Radovan Opalic and his children Aleksandra and Ksenija of France, Natalie Gagic and husband Djordje and children Tamara and Daniela of Wayne, Dusan Peric and wife Meg and son Alex of Sarasota, FL, George Dimitrijevic of Lincoln Park, Miroslav Dimitrijevic of Nutley, Suzana Zrno and husband Pero and children Tomislav and Frano of Austria, and Dubravka Bozie and daughter Una of Croatia. Phil was predeceased by his paternal grandmother Ana Dimitrijevic in 1989, his maternal grandfather Stojan Opalic in 2001, his paternal grandfather Vladeta Dimitrijevic in 2012, and his maternal great-grandfather Jovan Opalic in 2010.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Phil’s name are asked to consider Montville Animal Shelter, 7 Church Lane, Montville, NJ 07045.