In memory of Saša Milanović

It was a great shock to hear the news on 9 August 2020 that Saša Milanović had died in a tragic accident. From one day to the next he was no longer with us. His team, and many other ETH colleagues, are filled with deep sadness. Saša’s departure will have a long-lasting impact. We will all miss his incredible readiness to help, his positive approach and his warm manner.

Saša was born in 1972 in Jagodina, Serbia and came to Switzerland in 1991 after graduating from the technical university EGS Nikola Tesla in Svetozarevo. In Switzerland he worked and pursued further studies in the emergent area of computer science. He came to ETH in 2003 as a project team member for Academic Management Applications and Support (later ITS Software Services). There one of his tasks was to test central teaching platforms, and he soon distinguished himself with his precise and consistently solution-oriented test protocols.

In 2007 Saša moved to the ETH Examinations Office, where for 13 years he provided indispensable support and became a colleague much valued beyond Academic Services. If you had a question about an MS Office Program, Saša could always help. If you weren’t sure how to set up an SQL query correctly, Saša would be there with advice and assistance.

Saša’s willingness to help extended far beyond his everyday working life. When helpers were sought for the Cybathlon, he was the first to sign up. If you needed help transporting a cupboard outside of work, he would offer to help. And if you were sad or in a bad mood, he was there for you.

In his private life Saša – married and father of two children (13 and 20) – engaged himself for the well-being of his family. He was also a loving son, godfather, brother-in-law, uncle and son-in-law.

But ETH was also a big family for him, with brothers and sisters, occasionally with somewhat horrid aunts and uncles, but always with loveable cousins and thousands of “children” whom he tried to help. Saša’s wife mentioned recently that at home he often spoke of ETH and how happy he was if he could help someone in a difficult situation.

Saša was a person who never placed himself first, but always thought of others. He died as he had lived: in saving the life of another, he lost his own.

Losing Saša has made us all see what a joy and a privilege it was to have known him, to have tread the same paths for a while, to have laughed and fought with him, and to have loved him as a friend.

Saša, in his positive way, would not now want us to mourn what we have lost, but to be thankful for what we were able to share, grow and learn from in our years together.

We have lost a tremendously valued employee and colleague who really cared and was a good friend. Saša, we miss you very much!