Wasko Funeral Home

Youngstown - John R. Kovach Sr. passed away at home on Wednesday, March 24.
He was born on April 22, 1940, in Youngstown, a son of John ³Pope² and
Matilda (Duritza) Kovach, and grew up in Campbell.
John was a 1958 graduate of Campbell Memorial High School, where he was a
member of the National Honor Society and Student Council, and he played
football, baseball and basketball in his youth.
As center for the 1957 football team, where he earned the nickname ³Beef,²
he helped lead the Red Devil squad to a Steel Valley Conference
Championship, and earned distinction as a member of the All-Ohio team. He
went on to play football at Indiana University and graduated from Youngstown
State University with a bachelor¹s degree. At YSU, he was a reporter for the
student newspaper ³The Jambar.²
John began a career that lasted over 40 years as an award-winning
sportswriter for The Youngstown Vindicator, covering a wide array of high
school, college and professional sports. He wrote a weekly column for many
years profiling college athletes from the area and could be counted on for
his vast knowledge of area athletics.
Outside of his professional career, John parlayed his interest in sports
into many diverse activities. In the 1970s, he helped found both the Ohio
and Youngstown Touch and Flag Football Leagues and served as commissioner.
During this time period, he also started the ³Run for Fun² mini-marathon in
Youngstown.
An inventor who held several patents, he created two sports-themed board
games in the 1980s: ³Touch and Flag Football² and ³Dice Baseball,² which
sold in local retail outlets.
In recent years, he helped to establish a high school basketball series at
the Covelli Center, to give young players the experience of playing in a big
arena.
Outside of sports, John was president of the John Kovach Company, which
developed new electronic, electrical, and mechanical innovations. John was
also an avid reader of the classics and became an author himself when his
book, ³Appleland,² an adventure tale, was published in 2007.
Also in 2007, John founded the Campbell Memorial High School Alumni
Association and served as its president. He was very dedicated to the Alumni
Association¹s efforts to establish college scholarships for Campbell
Memorial graduates. Throughout his life, he accomplished all of his
activities in his quiet and unassuming way.
He was a lifelong member of St. Michael¹s Byzantine Catholic Church in
Campbell, a member of the Greek Catholic Union Lodge 360, the YMCA, the
Youngstown-Warren Inventors Association, the Youngstown Newspaper Guild, and
the Communications Workers of America.
John was a very dedicated and loving grandfather, known as ³Papa² to his
cherished grandchildren, and took great joy in the many hours he spent with
them.
He leaves his wife of Youngstown, Nancy (Caldwell) Kovach, whom he married
on June 11, 1966; his daughter, D¹Arcy Kovach of Cleveland; his
daughter-in-law, Dr. Pamela Guerriere-Kovach, and his three grandchildren,
Priscilla, Jonathan, and Erica Kovach, all of Canfield; his sister, Marsha
(Carl)  Yeager of Canfield; and his brother, Robert (Teena) Kovach of
Howland. In addition, he leaves his uncle, Edward (Bernadette) Kovach of
Poland; his aunts, Helen Chicone of Lakeland, Fla., and Marie Kovach of
Austintown; and many cousins, sisters and brothers-in law, and nieces and
nephews; as well as his dear friends, Bob and Phyllis Ricchiuti and Ron and
Joyce Tofil.
He was preceded in death by his beloved son, John R. Kovach Jr., who passed
away on Nov. 29, 2009.
Calling hours will be Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wasko Funeral Home in
Campbell, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m.
A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Michael¹s Byzantine
Catholic Church in Campbell.
Interment will be at St. Michael’s Byzantine Catholic Cemetery
Memorial contributions may be made to the Campbell Memorial Alumni
Association, 280 Sixth Street, Campbell, OH 44405.