Betty Jane (Kovatch) Derdak

Betty Derdak, 99, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at Tanglewood Trace. Betty was born on February 2, 1925 in South Bend to Anton and Mary (Toth) Kovatch.

On August 16, 1947 in South Bend she married Victor Derdak, a city firefighter who preceded her in death. He died on January 22, 2005. Betty was also preceded in death by a brother Anthony "Tony" Kovatch.

She lived through the Great Depression and WWII which shaped her life like many of what is called the "Greatest Generation." During a long career in middle management, Betty worked for Stone Container, Mercedes Benz, Bendix Corporation and Honeywell. Betty was a strong-willed, outspoken, kind, loving and generous person who enjoyed her family, especially her sons and their partners and her grandson. She loved decorating the Christmas tree, wearing hats in winter and summer, long walks in Los Angeles, sitting on the front porch in Chicago, and playing with her grandson when he was a little boy.

Surviving are two sons Thomas (Sarah Connor) Derdak and Victor (Charles Beebe) Derdak and a grandson John Connor Derdak.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life (coffee and cake) will be held on Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Tanglewood Trace, 530 Tanglewood Lane, Mishawaka, IN from 2pm-4pm. Zahoran Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. To leave an online condolence, visit our website http://www.zahoran.com or our Facebook page Zahoran Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made online to Heart to Heart Hospice Foundation.

2008 SBT Spotlight Article: Betty Jane (Kovatch) Derdak, 83, is a member of the Washington High School graduating class of 1943. She attended this year’s reunion and served on the planning committee. She loves to play cards and spend time with her family and friends

Sources: Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com

05/19/2024 EJS