Helen (Bodnar) Kovach

Helen Kovach (nee Bodnar) of Whiting, passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday, May 22, 2021at the Journey Senior Living Center, Merrillville. She was the beloved wife for 66 years of the late Joseph C. Kovach who passed away January 5, 2017; loving mother of Deborah (Ronald) Yates, Joseph (Karen) Kovach, Pamela (Michael ) Davies, Ronald (Dora) Kovach and Judy (late Ron) Gotto; cherished grandmother of Ryan (Cassandra) Yates, Rachael Yates, Joseph (Wendy) Kovach,  Erica Kovach, Megan Higgins, Patrick (Anne) Higgins, Mary (Brad) Harris, Ronald Kovach, Andrea Kovach, Erin (Matthew) VanderWerff and Colin (Kristen) Toohy; adoring great-grandma of Kaia Yates, Christina Kovach, Michael, Nicholson and Lochlain Higgins, Margaret and Mallory Vanderwerff; proud aunt to many nieces and nephews. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Eleanor “Julie” (late Robert) Spiller; parents-in-law, Karol and Maria Kovach; brothers-in-law, Charles Kovach, John (late Jacqueline) Kovach and Donald Kovach and a nephew Richard Kovach.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:00am at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119^th St., Whiting;  a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, with the Rev. Stanley J. Dominik, officiating; entombment to follow at Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville; visitation at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00pm. (Due to the current health situation a limitation of 50 people will be allowed in the funeral home at one time, face masks must be worn, social distancing is expected and temperatures will be taken.) The Mass will be live-streamed at www.stjohnbap.org. Expressions of sympathy may be placed on-line at www.baranfh.com.

Helen Kovach was born to Andrew and Julia (Harajda) Bodnar. She was a lifelong resident of the Whiting-Robertsdale Community and was a graduate of George Rogers Clark High School, Class of 1947. She was a lifelong member of the former Immaculate Conception Church, Whiting and the St. Ann Sodality. Helen knew how to live life and was the “Mary Poppins” of her time. She doted over all her family from her children to her great-grandchildren. Telling stories, baking, playing games and taking many trips in the family camper. She embraced her civic duty by supporting numerous family-caring Democratic politicians. She treated her neighborhood like family. Everyone knew where they could find love and a cookie. She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother,  great-grandma and a friend to all who knew her.

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