Jovo Filips ’91

Jovo Filips, of Holland, MI passed away Thursday, February 24, 2022. He was 54.

Jovo is survived by his wife of 10 years, Shelly; his children and grandson: Charlie ’14 and Leah (Lebarge ’13) Gies, and grandson Graham, Carson Filips, and Alexandra Filips; his parents Stojko and Mirjana Filipovich; his siblings: Pauline and Goran Petrovski and Ingo Weigold; his father-in-law and mother-in-law Bill and Gracia Lawson; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Susan and Clint Daycak, David and Michelle Van Haitsma, and Bill, Jr. and Sandy Lawson.

Jovo was preceded in death by his daughter Jessica Gies, his granddaughter Iris Gies, and his mother Mitana Filipovich.

Jovo grew up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where he graduated from Crestwood High School. He graduated from Hope College in 1991. During his time at Hope College, he joined the Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (the Cosmopolitans). It was at Hope College that he found a place for his love of the guitar, which he started playing at age 9, when he joined the band The Voice. Because of his love of recording, mixing, and mastering music, he went on to play in many bands and in many venues.

Jovo’s other hobby was golf. He was an avid golfer and was part of the West Michigan Amateur Tour and the Golf Channel Amateur Tour.

Jovo was a partner at Rutherford Associates where he was a software developer and Chief Technical Officer. Jovo also assisted his wife Shelly in pursuing her passion and starting GarenHuis Yarn Studio in downtown Holland. While he was not a knitter, he did all of the back-end technical setup and support.

Those who knew Jovo knew him, and loved him, for his easy smile and his consistently steady support and encouragement.

Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Langeland-Sterenberg Funeral Home, 315 East 16th Street, Holland. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at Ridge Point Community Church, 340 104th Avenue, Holland.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) at 85 East 8th Street Ste. 110, Holland, MI, 49423 for the Jovo Filips Memorial Fund for Music for Youth.

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