Marko Dominko Brnjic

MARKO BRNJIC, age 36; beloved husband of Brittany (nee Ratcliff); loving father of Dominic; cherished son of Dominko and Helen (nee Cvelbar); devoted grandson of the late Miro and Ljubica (nee Ilijasevic); dearest brother of Michael (wife Jennifer), Keith, Ana (husband Jim), and Johnny (wife Samantha), and cousin (like a brother) of Daniel; dear nephew to John (wife Victoria) and the late Nikola; fun-loving uncle of Jimmy and Noah; cousin, uncle, and friend to so many.

Marko was born on December 16, 1988 in Euclid and grew up in South Euclid, OH. He passed away on August 11, 2025. He was the beloved son of Helen and Dominic and cherished grandson of Miro and Ljubica. As a child, Marko enjoyed many interests, including drawing, soccer, and football. He was proud of his Croatian heritage, always listening to music, watching sports (especially Dinamo), and grilling homemade Cevapi for family and friends.

He met his wife, Brittany, at The Ohio State University, and they shared an instant connection and felt married from day one. Together, they welcomed their son, Dominic, and built a life full of love, adventure, and memories. He was also “dad” to his beloved pets, Max, Thor, and Simba.

A competitive weightlifter with a blue belt in jiu jitsu, he even took on Strong Man competitions. Proud of his personal bests, he reached 610 lbs in the squat, 545 in the deadlift, and 355 in the bench press.

He loved playing softball and soccer and proudly coached his son’s soccer team. Music was his heartbeat, and he often DJed at family gatherings and attended countless concerts, where he loved to mosh with his son. He was always looking forward to the next family get- together, ready for playful competition in board games, video games, mixology contests, and more.

Most would agree that Marko’s favorite pastime though was cracking jokes at any given moment, especially when it was totally inappropriate, which made everyone laugh even harder. Markie was funny, kind, thoughtful, and loved his family and friends fiercely.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to support his beloved wife and son during this difficult time may be made in memory of Marko to his Treasured Memories Fund by clicking HERE.

Mass of Christian Burial Monday, August 18, 2025 at St. Paul Croatian Catholic Church, 1369 East 40th Street, Cleveland, OH at 10AM. Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Marko at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS, 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91) SUNDAY 2-6PM. Online obituary, guestbook, & order flowers at www.DeJohnCares.com

Family will also welcome friends to pay tribute to Marko near his home at Mayhew-Brown Funeral Home (135 Broadway Street, Jackson, OH 45640) on Friday, August 15th from 4-7pm.