Ray Popovich

Ray Popovich, of Greentree, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at the age of 88. Born on January 1, 1937, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Ray was the first baby born in the city that New Year. His birth name, Radoye—meaning “joyful” in Serbian—perfectly captured the spirit he carried throughout his life.

Ray was known by many names: Radoye, John (a nickname given during his paperboy days when the Pittsburgh Press struggled to spell his name), Pidge to his childhood friends, Dad to his two sons, and Pap to his four grandchildren. He met the love of his life, Shirley Marnell, at McKeesport Senior High School in 1953. They married in 1958 and shared a lifetime together, never living apart until now.

Ray lived with unwavering commitment to every role he embraced—son, brother, uncle, husband, grandfather, engineer, runner, golfer, and singer. He was the son of the late Very Reverend Dr. Milan G. and Zoritza Popovich, and was preceded in death by his brothers, Dushan, Stoyan, Judge Zoran Popovich, and sister, Stoyanka Vranesevich.

He is survived by his loving wife, Shirley; sons, Bert (Nadine) and Mark (Christine); and grandchildren, Kristen (Neil) Sorice, Carlie, Alex (Storm Alexis), and Amanda.

Ray earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (formerly Carnegie Technical Institute). His career began in 1958 at the Shippingport Nuclear Power Station, and he later served as a Chemical and Design Engineer at U.S. Steel from 1964 until his retirement in 1999.

A passionate golfer and runner, Ray was a fixture at Scally’s Golf Center, where he volunteered as an unofficial golf instructor. He ran in every Great Race from its inception in 1977 until 2007, completing his final race at age 70. Ray also had a rich musical life, lending his bass voice to the St. Sava and Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Choirs, as well as the Tsar Lazar Male Chorus.

Friends will be received on Friday, December 5th from 1:00 – 4:00 PM and 6:00 – 8:00 PM, William Slater II Funeral Service, 1650 Greentree Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Mali Pomen Services will be held at 7:30 PM. Funeral services will take place on Saturday, December 6th at 1:00 PM at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, 450 Maxwell Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, officiated by Rev. Presbyter Nebojša Varagić. EVERYONE PLEASE MEET AT CHURCH. Entombment will follow at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral at the address above.

www.slaterfuneral.com