George Ralph Zaninovich

George Ralph Zaninovich was born on October 24, 1936, on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, as the fourth child of George and Kate Zaninovich. Seeking warmer and drier climates, the family relocated to San Pedro, California, where they became members of the Croatian community. George attended San Pedro High School (Winter Class of ’55) and pursued night classes at Harbor College while working at the San Pedro News Pilot.

In 1960, George was drafted into the Army and stationed in Munich, Germany. Upon completing four years of military service, he returned to San Pedro, rejoining the News Pilot. During this time, he met Sonja Uskovich of Brbnj, Croatia, whom he married in 1964.

George and Sonja raised their children, Guy and Kim, in San Pedro, actively participating in the Holy Trinity parish, where Sonja taught and their children attended school. While George found employment with United Parcel Service in 1974 and took pride in being a Teamster, his true passion lay in collecting toys.

Growing up during the Depression, George’s family prioritized sending any extra funds back to relatives in the “Old Country,” leaving little room for toys. As an adult, George began collecting old toys and cars alongside his son Guy, eventually founding West Coast Toy Collectors.

Weekends were filled with toy, doll, and collectible shows that George produced with the help of his family, in San Pedro, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Anaheim, and swap meets throughout Southern California.

In 1998, George and Sonja retired to beautiful Gig Harbor, Washington, nestled in the Puget Sound. He passed away on December 23, 2023, in his sleep in Richmond, Virginia after visiting with his family in anticipation of Christmas.

George was preceded in death by his parents, George and Kate, and his siblings Kay “Queenie” Valentine, Margie Jackson, and Tony Zaninovich. He is survived by his wife Sonja, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage, his son and daughter Guy and Kim (Jon Rajkovich), and his two grandchildren, Gia and Zinn.