Kim Kovacevich

The heartbeat of everywhere she went, Kimberly Kovacevich brought such beauty to the world around her. She was vivacious and vibrant with just the right amount of spunk mixed in. Kim’s primary focus was on her family, and she had a special way of making everyone feel as though they were her favorite person in the world. Friendly and outgoing, she never met a stranger, and she never went anywhere without finding someone she knew. Genuine, gracious, and compassionate, Kim will be deeply missed while her memory remains a lasting treasure in the hearts and lives of all who were within her reach.

It seems only fitting that Kim’s journey began during a time that was as colorful as she was. It was the 1960s when we elected the young John F. Kennedy as our 35th President of the United States only to mourn his death just a short time later. Civil rights were front and center, and it was America that was victorious in the space race as we put the first man on the moon. Amidst this exciting time was a time of great anticipation in the lives of Walter and Carol Janczewski as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby as the beauty of spring unfolded in Chicago, Illinois, in May of 1960. The big day finally arrived when the baby girl they named Kimberly drew her first breath. She was one of four children and was raised on the South side of Chicago and later in Decatur, Michigan, alongside her siblings, Duane, Marion, and Cindy. Kim’s father was a project manager and engineer as well as a gentleman farmer while her mother raised their four children, ran the farm, and also drove the school bus at times.

Living on a farm sure made life busy. Kim raised pigs for the local 4-H including one named Penelope. She had 3 other siblings who helped pick the asparagus, Kim hated picking asparagus, to pass time Kim and her sisters would sing the entire time while their brother emptied containers at the end of each row. Kim was the slowest picker of them all, but at times the bucket got so heavy for her. She did manage to get out of doing hay since it affected her asthma, so she ended up being the water girl for her sisters instead. Kim attended local schools where she enjoyed socializing with friends. She went to Japan on a 4-H program, and since she hated the food there she came home very thin since she rarely ate. Kim was on the track team, the pom pom squad, and played volleyball, too. She also discovered that it was easier to copy the answers than it was to answer the questions herself! Kim graduated from Decatur High School in 1978 and then took a few classes in Kalamazoo.

New and exciting changes were in store for Kim when she met the young man of her dreams. His name was Bob Kovacevich, and they met because he worked for her father. They fell deeply in love, and with a desire to establish a life together they were married in the early eighties. Together they welcomed two children into their hearts and home, Danielle and Adam. Kim forever viewed the day she was married as one of the best days of her life, and the days that she picked up her children from the airport to grow their family through adoption were also the days she cherished most. Kim loved watching Danielle figure skate and her son play both ice hockey and soccer. She always looked forward to celebrating Christmas and Halloween with her family every year, and there was a memorable family vacation to Costa Rica in 2012. Although Kim was never a huge fan of dogs, she did love their family dog, Oreo, and her grand-dog, Maizey.

Throughout her life Kim was a woman of many interests. She worked as an office manager at KGH for over 10 years. During her younger years she played softball and was on a bowling league, and later on she enjoyed golfing with family and friends. She enjoyed playing card games such as euchre, especially when there were teams of guys verses girls. Kim was also part of a weekly golf league for a time. She loved going to the casino, and she showed great restraint there, too, since she never spent more than $60. Usually, that amount lasted her for hours. Kim was a sports fan who enjoyed watching both the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions as well as watching Jordan Speith play golf. She liked shopping and coffee dates as well as Friday 501 gatherings for drinks and food with friends on Friday nights after work. When it came to relaxing, Kim liked reading romance novels and watching the Price is Right and Ellen on television.

Gracious, kindhearted, and genuine, no one met Kimberly Kovacevich and left unchanged. She had a goofy sense of humor at times such as how she had her own language when she wanted to curse to avoid cursing in front of her children. Kim was selfless and lived to nurture and care for her family, and she was the sort of person who would do something for anyone. She worked hard in everything she did, and she gave everything her all. Kim will never be forgotten.

Kimberly Kovacevich, of Plainwell, died September 6, 2015, in Rochester, MN. Kim’s family includes her husband, Bob Kovacevich; daughter, Danielle (Lance) Pride; and son, Adam Kovacevich; her father, Walt (Terry) Janczewski; siblings: Duane Janczewski , Marion (Doug) Monroe, and Cindy (Bob) Overmyer; and nieces and nephews. Kim was preceded in death by her mother, Carol in 2009. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday 10:30 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church. A reception will follow from 12 noon-3 p.m. in the Life Story Center at the Life Story Funeral Homes, Betzler – Kalamazoo; 6080 Stadium Drive (375-2900). Please visit Kim’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo of her and sign her online guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to West Michigan Cancer Center.