Dolores T. (Lisek) Kovacs

SOUTH BEND - Dolores T. Kovacs, 79, passed away at 2:44 a.m. on Saturday, January 30, 2010, in Memorial Hospital. Dolores was born on August 31, 1930, in South Bend, to the late Casimer and Louise (Olejniczak) Lisek. On June 6, 1953, in St. Adalbert Catholic Church, Dolores married George A. Kovacs Jr. They had been married 51 1/2 years at the time of his death on January 29, 2005. Dolores joined her loving husband, George, in death at almost five years exactly. Also preceding her in death was a daughter-in-law, Lindasue Kovacs.

Dolores is survived by her children, Ann (Tim) Priebe and Daniel Kovacs, all of South Bend, and Gregory Kovacs of Bridgman, MI; grandchildren, Andrew and Andrea Priebe of South Bend; a brother, Joseph Lisek of Indianapolis; and Harriet Wise and Joan Napieralski, who were like the sisters she always wanted, one younger and one older. They were the shoulders to lean on and gave sound advice which helped her thru some trying moments. Both of these ladies took the place of the sisters she never had. Also, Jeremy and Jessica Cleveland who adopted her as their grandma.

Dolores retired from the South Bend Tribune, having worked there for over 22 years as an inserter, thereafter to become a caregiver for her mother, and then for her husband whose Parkinson disease had gotten worse. It was the love and support of Ann's family and Dan that helped her thru the many trying times she had to cope with during her husband's long illness of 14 years. Like both her parents she loved to read. Working on crosswords and jigsaw puzzles were yet another enjoyment. Outside during summer it was the many varieties of flowers she liked to look after.

Six months after her husband's death she started filling her time doing volunteer work. She started with the Red Cross, then Christ Child, Catholic Charities (stuffing 200 door warmers), and finally at St. Margaret's House. Spreading out got to be a trial, so she decided she enjoyed St. Margaret's House the most, which is where she was going to spend her weekdays - 5 days a week, 4 to 6 hours a day. In 2008 she was nominated in the Hoosier Lifetime Award category for the Age of Excellence Award. She was also nominated for the 2008 Golden Hoosier Award. She had received two Gold Pins (for over 1000 hours per year) and one Bronze Pin (for over 100 hours per year) for volunteering at St. Margaret's House for four years. She was a parishioner at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Catholic Church for over 30 years. Special Thank You to the staff of the Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and 7 South for their compassionate care for both Dolores and her family during this past week.

Sources: Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, and FindAGrave.com

01/14/2024 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47385354/dolores-t.-kovacs