Traian Popovici

September 5, 1950 – February 14, 2023

Traian Popovici was born September 5, 1950 in the village of Mierlau, Bihor Romania to parents Iosif and Maria. He was his parents’ only child and when Traian was five years old, his mother passed away so Traian was left without a mother. Traian was raised in the countryside and spent his time out on the rural hills, taking care of the farm, the cows and other animals, plowing the field, and helping his father Iosif with farmwork - hard work, but work that he enjoyed. He also liked to learn and read – a habit that stayed with him all of his life. As a young man, Traian completed his two-year military training at Turnu Severin, Romania and afterwards enrolled in a technical school where he completed his specialization as an electrician.

When he was 27 years old, Traian received Jesus Christ in his heart as Lord and Savior and was baptized at the Second Romanian Baptist Church of Oradea. A little while later, he met Cristina Viorica of Hidiselu de Sus, whom he married in 1980. In 1981, The Lord blessed the family with their first child, a daughter, whom they named Lidia. Then, in 1982, the Lord blessed the family again with their second daughter and they named her Maria.

Living in Romania, Traian had always dreamed of America, wishing to one day live there. He wanted to escape the yoke of Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship; he did not want to live under the oppressive hand of the Romanian communist regime. He dreamed of a different life, a life that could offer him liberty and good possibilities, for himself and for his family. Armed with these thoughts, he made up his mind to flee the country and in 1983 he fled communist Romania. He was detained for a short period of time in former Yugoslavia. During all of this time, The Lord kept watch over Traian, at every step and helped him through these perilous circumstances. After some time, Traian reached out to Brother Alexa Popovici from Chicago, IL, knowing that other Romanian political refugees had also reached out to Brother Alexa Popovici, in order to initiate a petition of legal immigration to America.

Meanwhile, a Catholic church found out about Traian’s political asylum situation and decided to sponsor him, in order to enable him to immigrate to the United States. So Traian soon arrived in America, specifically in St. Louis Missouri, in 1983. Shortly afterward, Brother Alexa helped Traian move to Chicago, IL, where Traian found a large Romanian community. Traian quickly integrated himself there, becoming a member of the First Romanian Baptist Church of Chicago, pastored by Brother Alexa Popovici. Once in the U.S., Traian began to learn the English language and to assimilate himself into the American culture. He enjoyed spending time learning English – he always sought to become more knowledgeable in whatever way he could. He was a member of the First Romanian Baptist Church of Chicago for three years, from 1983-1985. There, he became involved in the church’s various ministries, playing in the brass band and singing in the men’s choir. In February 1985, Traian was reunited with his wife Cristina and two daughters, Lidia and Maria, when they too, immigrated to the United States.

In 1986, Traian and his family made the decision to move to Atlanta, where a gathering of Romanians had begun to form. With the Lord’s help, the entire family established themselves in Norcross, Georgia and later in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Traian became a member of the First Romanian Baptist Church – Atlanta, pastored at that time by Martian Cocian and Teofil Cocian and currently pastored by Cristian Cocian and Daniel Tuple. He was an active member in all of these years, placing his gifts in service to the Lord, leading prayer time on Sundays, singing solos, and participating in the church’s brass band, where he played the baritone.

In 1989, The Lord blessed the family with a new gift, a third child, their first son, whom they named David. In 1992, the Lord blessed the family with a fourth child, their third daughter, whom they named Tabita. And in 1996, the last child, their fifth, was born into the family and they named him Samuel Petru.

God was with Traian throughout the years, in hard times and in good times, in need and in abundance. The Lord helped Traian to always provide for his family and he happily sacrificed himself for them, so that they would never go without. When he placed his hand on whatever work task, he showed himself to be an example in doing a good job because he appreciated the quality of whatever task - whether great or small. He wanted the work to be done to the best of his ability. He worked for various local enterprises and retired in 2018. But even after he retired, he continued to work intensely on numerous household projects: construction, carpentry, remodeling and gardening projects. He liked to spend time outdoors the most, in God’s natural playground – in Georgia’s wooded backwoods, in the Colorado slopes, and alongside Florida’s coastal waters. Nature’s atmosphere calmed him – be it fishing or deer hunting. Out in the open spaces he enjoyed working and spending his time. His cracked hands proved the diligence, love, and devotion he had for his family. It brought him great pleasure to see verdant green sprouting all around him, a divine beauty that he appreciated. Even in this small detail, he saw the manifested majesty of God.

But life took an unexpected turn when in early 2020, Traian suffered several strokes that affected him severely. This trial, from 2020 until 2023, came as a great hardship to the entire family, but especially for his wife Cristina, who faithfully cared for him, every day.

But God had mercy on Traian – He loved him with an abiding and perfect love and demonstrated his love toward him by extending his life three more years. It is undeniable that God desires the sanctification of man, because nothing unholy will enter the Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:27). And in these three years, in the wake of these incidents, God worked in Traian’s heart and life, in a special way to prepare him for eternity, to sanctify him. God does not desire that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Traian had the habit of saying: “God shows no partiality…we need to be holy ‘fore He is holy.” And indeed it is so: The Lord is holy and we are called to be holy – (“Be Holy, For I am Holy” – I Peter 1:6).

The Lord’s plans come to pass according to the timeline that God ordains and nothing and no one can stand in the way of God’s plans. And so on January 11, 2023, Traian suffered another stroke. The Lord saw to it then, to call him home a month later, on February 14, 2023 - Valentine’s Day. He called him home where there are no more pains, hardships or sufferings. Even though the separation from husband and father respectively grieves us, with an overwhelming grief, we live with the hope of reuniting with those who die in the Lord.  We await with anticipation that glorious reunion in the paradise prepared for the Lord’s children. Traian leaves behind his wife Cristina Popovici and his children: Lidia, Maria, David, Tabita and Samuel Popovici. God has given, God has taken away, may the Name of the Lord Jesus be glorified. Amen.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 2 PM at Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Hamilton Mill Memorial Gardens. An Evening service will be held Friday, February 24, 2023 at 7 PM at First Romanian Baptist Church of Atlanta.

Hamilton Mill Memorial Chapel 770-945-6924 Share memories of Traian at hamiltonmillchapel.com