Miroslava

Protic

Miroslava (Micha) Protic passed away peacefully on November 4, 2026 at the age of 75 at the Lower Cape Fear Life Center in Bolivia, NC. Born on February 26, 1951 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, now known as Croatia. Micha earned her B.S. degree, Master’s degree and Doctorate degree at the University of Zagreb. Her major was biology. She immigrated to the United States and worked for many years at different research institutions. Micha married Stephen H. Southworth in 1991, and on October 18, 1994 in Rockville, Maryland they welcomed their baby, Anna. Micha worked at the Rugjer Boskovic Institute in Zagreb, Croatia for several years, the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland from 1981 to 1987, the National Institute of Health (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) in Bethesda, Maryland from 1988 to 1996, the Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois from 1997 to 2008, and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 2008 to 2011.

Micha moved to Sunset Beach, North Carolina in 2016. She liked walking out-of-doors, listening to opera, going to Boston to visit her daughter Anna; she volunteered at the Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle Beach and at Arbor Landing in Shallotte, and Lower Cape Fear Hospice in Bolivia. She liked to go to art museums, the theater, and to travel to Zagreb for the Advent season to visit her family.

Micha joined Seaside United Methodist Church in 2017, after being active for some time. She sang in the sanctuary choir, volunteered for the church annual Country Fairs, Vacation Bible Schools for several years, the STARS program for several years, Bible and book studies, and the annual Harvest Festival. Micha was a spiritual person. She taught Sunday School to three year old at her United Methodist Church in Naperville, Illinois. Her grandfather was an Archpriest in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Micha is survived by her daughter, Anna Southworth of Boston, Massachusetts; her sister Gorana Lovasic of Zagreb, Croatia; her niece Lana Lovasic of Zagreb, Croatia; and her niece Tina Lovasic of Zagreb, Croatia.

Suggestions for any memorial gifts to honor Micha may be made to the music program of Seaside United Methodist Church or to Lower Cape Fear Life Care.

There will be an internment of Micha’s ashes in the Garden of Disciples immediately following this service followed by a reception for everyone to enjoy in the church Fellowship Hall.