My name is Octavio Definis Ossa, owner of JD Sutivan Construction, a company built upon the family values inherited from our namesake, Josip Definis. I believe family is the most important thing we have, and our company reflects those values in how and why we work every single day. Like many American families, our story is one of immigration, sacrifice, resilience, and hard work.
It began with my great-grandfather, Josip (Joseph) Definis Didolić, who was born on May 17, 1881, in Sutivan, a small seaside village on the island of Brač, in Dalmatia, Croatia. He grew up surrounded by olive trees, white stone, and the Adriatic Sea, as the eldest of seven siblings: Vicko, Tomislav, Andro, Rade, Šimica, and Kati. From a young age, he learned responsibility, humility, and the importance of caring for others.
His parents, Andrija Definis and Franka Didolić, taught him that family roots matter, even when life takes you far from home. At only 22 years old, Josip crossed the ocean to Chile in search of opportunity and a better future. He eventually settled in the saltpeter mining regions of northern Chile, where he worked at a mining operation called Nueva Rica. There, he became manager of the company store, known as the “pulpería,” an essential place where mining families obtained food, tools, and daily necessities in the middle of the desert. Josip became known as a hardworking, fair, and respected man within the community.
In Chile, he married Josefina, a Chilean woman of Italian heritage, and together they built a family rooted in love, sacrifice, and perseverance. They had two daughters, Ljubica and Milka, who grew up listening to stories about the sea, the island of Brač, and the long journey their father had made across the world. Although he had built a life in Chile, Josip never forgot his homeland. In 1928, he returned with his family to Sutivan, where he remained until 1935. During that time, he served hiscommunity with humility and dedication and briefly held the position of mayor of the town while helping care for his siblings and elderly parents.
In 1935, he crossed the ocean once again to return to Chile. He passed away on December 2, 1946, in Santiago, leaving behind a legacy defined by hard work, honesty, family values, and deep respect for his roots. That legacy continued through my grandmother, Milka, who played a fundamental role in my upbringing. Together with my mother, who also carries her name, she taught me the importance of family, integrity, perseverance, and honest work — the same values Josip had passed down to her.
Although my grandmother passed away years ago, she still lives on in everything I do, and I am proud to carry the Definis name in her honor.
Following the same path my great-grandfather once took, I emigrated from Chile to the United States 28 years ago. I started from the very bottom in construction, working hard to learn the trade step by step. Over the years, I became a foreman and eventually built my own company alongside trusted colleagues who shared my work ethic and commitment.
I later returned to Chile for a few years hoping to settle there and accompany my mother. I even founded a construction company there, but by then the United States had already become home. Most of all, I missed my children, Skylar and Diego, and it was ultimately that pull of the heart that brought me back to Massachusetts.
There, I founded JD Sutivan Construction — named in honor of Josip Definis and the village of Sutivan, where our family story began. Today, our company stands as a reflection of the values passed down through generations: honesty, craftsmanship, sacrifice, resilience, and respect for family. I like to believe that Josip would be proud to see his descendants continuing to work hard, care for others, and honor the legacy he began so many years ago. His story reminds us that roots do not disappear when we cross the ocean. They simply grow in new lands and continue to live through those who remember them.
