Harriet PODLAS

12 JUN 1923 - 22 JAN 2014

• BIRTH: 12 JUN 1923, South Bend, IN
• BURIAL: St Joseph Cemetery, South Bend, In
• DEATH: 22 JAN 2014, Tucson, Arizona

• MARRIAGE: 8 JAN 1944, St Adalberts, St Joseph County, IN

INDEX

[N8674] Harriet Kovatch
June 12, 1923 - Jan. 22, 2014
SOUTH BEND - Harriet Kovatch, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, died Wednesday, January 22, 2014, in Tucson, Arizona. Harriet, the daughter of Zygmunt and Helen (Zielinski) Podlas, was born on June 12, 1923, in South Bend, Indiana. She attended St. Adalbert School and graduated from South Bend Catholic High School in 1942. Harriet married Anthony C. Kovatch at St. Adalbert Church in South Bend on January 8, 1944. He preceded her in death in 1994. Surviving Harriet are her two sons, Robert A. (Mary) Kovatch of Indianapolis, IN, and Ronald (Virginia) Kovatch of Tucson, AZ; her three grandchildren, Sarah Kovatch (Peter McDonnell) of South Pasadena, CA, David Kovatch of Washington, D.C., and Michael Kovatch of Cincinnati, OH; two great-grandchildren, Angus Arthur and Anna Virginia McDonnell; sister, Irene Szalay of South Bend, IN; brother, Zygmunt Podlas Jr. of St. Petersburg, FL; sister-in-law, Betty Jean Derdak of Los Angeles, CA; nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; and her many loving friends. Harriet was a member of St. Adalbert Catholic Church, where she was baptized and made her First Holy Communion and Confirmation, St. Adalbert Rosary Society, and St. Adalbert School Alumni Association. She worked in her family's bakeries, Gold Star Bakery and the Belleville Bake Shop, retiring in 1972. She then went on to work for many years in the registrar's office at St. Mary's College, retiring from there in 1984. Those are the facts of her long and happy life, but they do not begin to convey the person she was to those who were lucky enough to know her. Unfailingly upbeat with a wonderful sense of humor, she lived for family, friends and faith. The saying "She never met a stranger" had to have originated with her. Whether it was the cashiers at Martin's or CVS, Japanese tourists on a ferry in Louisville, neighbors and staff at Castle Point Apartments in South Bend, or students she met at St. Mary's, she made instant and lifelong friends. Although she could not travel much the last few years of her life, she was still an avid world explorer, walking Bindi the dog in California with Sarah, visiting foreign countries with David, and crossing the U.S. with Michael, all via cell phone. Her love for them was boundless; her loving words of pride, encouragement and enthusiasm for all things Sarah, David, and Michael make her loss immeasurable. In honor of Harriet's wishes, there will be no visitation or public services. A private funeral Mass will be said with family members only. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Burial will take place at St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Harriet's name may be made to St. Adalbert Catholic Church, 2505 W. Grace St., South Bend, IN 46619; Sisters of Holy Cross, St. Mary's Ministry with the Poor, Development Office, 407 Bertrand Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5000; Casa de la Luz Hospice, 7740 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, AZ 85704; or a charity of the donor's choice . Condolences for the family may be made at www.sjfh.net.
Published in South Bend Tribune on Feb. 2, 2014