Domagoj, Taylor, and their infant daughter Holly are the newest members of the Salisbury community, bringing with them fascinating family histories that stretch across Europe and Southern California. Their roots span Croatia, Sweden, Scotland, and France, with stories of immigration, hard work, and the importance of family.

Domagoj’s Croatian heritage runs deep. Born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents, his mother is from the island of Vis, off the coast of Split, while his father came from the village of Lecevica. In the early 1960s, Domagoj’s father joined the wave of young Croatian men, known as “Gastarbeiters,” who left Communist Yugoslavia in search of work. He moved to Germany before settling in Los Angeles in 1967, where he worked for 55 years as a bartender at Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood. “He served everyone from the Eagles to Magic Johnson,” Domagoj recalls proudly. Domagoj’s parents met at a wedding in LA in 1973 and married shortly after. “I spent a lot of summers in Croatia as a teenager,” Domagoj adds. “It’s a place I’m really connected to, and I look forward to taking Holly there one day.”

Taylor’s family story is equally rich but with roots in Sweden, Scotland, and France. “My great-grandparents came from Sweden in the early 1900s,” Taylor explains. She is now embracing Croatian tradition such as making seafood dinner on Christmas Eve. 

Despite their dislike and initial resistance to dating apps, they met using the Hinge app in LA in 2021 in the midst of COVID. Taylor showed little outward interest over the first several dates. Notably, while walking the Venice Beach Canals on their seventh date, Domagoj went to hold Taylor’s hand, and she reciprocated his attempt by moving her hand away with Bruce Lee-like dexterity. However, he obviously persisted.  Needless to say, she eventually came around!

The couple’s professional lives also reflect their passions for service and problem-solving. Domagoj, a civil/environmental engineer, specializes in wastewater treatment and has worked on global projects, including a research initiative in Tatui, Brazil while in graduate school at MIT. “We developed a cost-effective upgrade to their wastewater treatment plant,” Domagoj says. 

Dr. Taylor Gotovac, a clinical psychologist, focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD, providing both therapeutic services and family support. “Helping families understand neurodivergence and support their children is incredibly rewarding and interesting,” she shares.

Domagoj and Taylor decided to move to Salisbury in July 2023 to settle down and start a family. Domagoj’s older brother and family of five moved to Midlothian in 2018, his mother joined them in 2022, and his younger brother moved here in 2023. “It’s great to have family nearby,” Domagoj says. The couple has already embraced their new home, joining the Salisbury Country Club and St. Edwards the Confessor Church, where Holly will be baptized in April. “We wanted to build a foundation for our family here, just like the one we grew up with,” Domagoj explains.

In their free time, Domagoj, Taylor, and Holly enjoy long walks through Salisbury and quiet mornings in their sunroom. “We love adventure and spending time together as a family,” says Taylor. As they look to the future, they’re excited to explore more of Virginia, visit Croatia, and create new traditions for their growing family in Salisbury.