Ilijana Valentina Bartolec, beloved sister and friend, passed away on June 9, 2026, at the age of 52. She was kind, generous, and loving — words that barely contain the fullness of who she was. She had a gift for making people feel welcomed, whether by bringing food to share with those around her, showing up wholeheartedly for those she loved, or simply filling a room with warmth. Her Croatian heritage was a cherished part of her identity, and she expressed it beautifully through her long participation in the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans, where she sang, danced, and played the prim and brač in the tradition of her ancestors. Her happiest hours were spent at the family cabin on Lake Cavanaugh, a place she loved dearly.

A dedicated Transportation Security Officer with the TSA for nearly two decades, Ilijana served at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later Paine Field, distinguishing herself through 27 national deployments, service at two Presidential Inaugurations, and humanitarian work at the southern US border. She brought quiet pride to every assignment — collecting a magnet from each deployment location, a small but telling tradition that reflected the care she gave to everything she did.

She is survived by her brother, Milan H. Bartolec, his wife Peggy Bartolec, and their son Robert Curtis; and by her beloved nephew Lucas Wheeler and nieces Adrianna and Gabriela Wheeler, whom she cherished deeply. Ilijana will be remembered for her kindness, her dedication, and a spirit that made everything around her warmer and brighter. She was — and always will be — loving, kind, generous, and forever ours.