Cvetan Popov Service Information

Cvetan Popov, of Hilltown, formerly of Chalfont, died on Monday, March 11, 2019.  He was 92.         

He was the beloved husband of the late Maria Klaric Popov.

Born in Orehovo, Bulgaria, he was the son of the late Jordan Popov and Velika Dimitrova and brother to two sisters, Ivanka and Hristina.

Cvetan was born and raised in a prominent family in Bulgaria during the reign of King Simon II of Saxe –Cobug – Gotha.   His father and his grand-father were both Pope’s of the Eastern Orthodox faith with close ties to the royal family.  Cvetan was attending the University of Sofia studying medicine until the Russians began their slow take over of Bulgaria in the early 1940s.   While he was attending the university, a professor had asked him to do a broadcast on Radio FREE Bulgaria about how this will hurt Bulgaria – within days of that speech, he was arrested and was to be executed.

Under house arrest and his family estate heavily guarded, one night a few weeks before his execution date – his sister’s and lady cousins dressed him in lady’s clothing with make up a hat and a cape and snuck him out of the house past the guards under the cloak of a group of giggling tipsy ladies.   From his village, he traveled under the cover of night through the Bulgarian country side until he was captured after crossing the board into Yugoslavia (now known as the Country of Serbia).  He was imprisoned and tortured in a communist prison for 2 years.  Even as a prisoner, he would read about the events in the United States under President Dwight Eisenhour.

Eventually, he was released into a guarded village where other Bulgarians were being held.    One day he received an unmarked letter from a local villager with a ticket and a note telling him to go to a particular location, on this date and to board this train.    The envelope had no name on it nor did he know who it came from.        At this time, he was living with a family who were traders and had come across a Yugoslavian’s Soldiers uniform.    When the time came for him to head to that train, he was given that uniform so that he could travel out of the village.

Cvetan boarded that train which took him to a town in Austria where two British solders greeted him.   During this time in Austria, it was occupied by the British and the Americans.    He was taken to the British Army camp where he was fed and given a place to stay.    While in their camp, he was questioned for days however, he was free to move around the camp.   Within a week or so, two soldiers arrived wearing MP emblem on their uniforms.   They were American Solders under the command of Dwight Eisenhower.  He was transferred to the American Army Camp where he was again questioned but was free to move around their camp.

Then a day or so US soldiers who had been questioning him asked him if he would like to go to America.  He said that he did not know anyone there but he was willing to go there.   They prepared his travel documents and then boarded the USS General W.C. Langfitt from Bremerhaven Germany and arrived in the Ellis Island New York December 16, 1955.  

From that day, Cvetan lived and loved the American dream.    He married Maria Klaric in April of 1963 and had two daughters.    He enjoyed celebrating his faith, was very active in the church, and sang in the choir.    He and his wife lived modestly in a small row home until they could purchase a home in the suburbs of Chalfont.    Cvetan rebuilt the life he lost in Bulgaria on the small lot of 15 Hellberg Ave with a garden, orchard of apple, pear, plum trees and a small vineyard.   He had a strong work ethic that kept him working until he retired at the age of 72.

Cvetan enjoyed life with his wife, daughters (Anastasia and Hristina) and eventually their husbands (Dennis Blaszczyk and Sandro Corrado) and grandchildren.    He and his wife would spend their golden years taking bus trips to Atlantic City and spending the rest of their time with their two grandchildren, Nastassja and Stefano.  

After the passing of his wife, Cvetan moved in with his daughter Hristina, her husband Sandro, his grandchildren and their two dogs Leo and Oskar.    The last eight years of his life was living the grand-father’s dream.    He enjoyed the sounds and smells around him.    He enjoyed visiting with friends and sharing his stories with them.    He loved to sit on the front porch with Leo and Oskar just watching and listening to the birds and trees.    He loved hearing the voices of his grandchildren as they came home each day from school and said “Hi Deda.”

Most of all, Cvetan loved the country that welcomed him where he was able to be reborn.    He embodied everything that this country stands for – Freedom.     Although he always wore a hat with an American flag, the love for his home land of Bulgaria never left his heart.  

Cvetan is preceded in death by his two sisters Hristina Popov and Ivanka Popov.    He survived by his two daughters, Anastasia Blaszczyk and her husband Dennis of Chalfont and Hristrina Corrado and her husband Sandro of Hatfield.   His is also survived by his two grandchildren Nastassja and Luigi “Stefano” Corrado. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing from 9:00 AM to 11:00AM and his funeral service following on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the Joseph A. Fluehr II Funeral Home, 241 E. Butler Ave (at Sandy Ridge Rd.), New Britain, PA 18901.   His interment will follow in  St. John Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont.

Send Flowers And Gifts