Constance (Connie) June Kovach

Memorial services for long time nurse at the Powell Hospital Constance (Connie) June Marie Kovach, 78, who died at Riverstone Hospice in Billings on February 9, 2012 will be held Wednesday, February 15 at 10:45 a.m. at the Nelson Auditorium on the Northwest College Campus in Powell. A reception will follow at the DeWitt Student Center on Campus.
  She was born in Red Lodge, Montana on June 7, 1933 to Alex and Irma Nikula Cobetto.   She attended school in Red Lodge graduating with the Carbon County Coyotes in 1951. She received her nursing degree at Eastern Montana College and took her nurses training at the Deaconess Hospital in Billings.
  On May 31, 1949 she married William (Bill) Kovach and the couple moved to Powell in 1956 where her husband taught school until his death in 1966. While Bill was teaching, Connie was a full time mom for her four children. After her husband’s death, she went back to work at the Powell Hospital where she provided comfort and excellent care to many people in the community.
  The compassionate and calming manner in which she cared for her patients often made them relax and realize, “Everything’s going to be OK. Connie is taking care of me.” Before her retirement in 1998, she was ER coordinator at the hospital.
  Connie loved to sing and dance and started dancing with her dad, who was such a terrific dancer he could have competed on the TV show Dancing With the Stars, when she was about 3 years. She continued that passion for dancing all through her life. She enjoyed cooking especially baking and candy making. She won numerous prizes for her cooking, including Grand Champion awards at county fairs in Red Lodge and Powell.
 In addition to her cooking skills, her family remembers her as an “original recycler” and perfectionist housekeeper. She was a member of the Powell Fine Arts Club and enjoyed traveling in the United States as well as abroad..
 Connie was an original member of the Thursday Bridge club and played with the group for forty years. She missed very few of those monthly  sessions even after she was diagnosed with cancer and enjoyed the warm friendship of  the group  who appreciated delicious lunches prepared by the hostess, had cheerful conversations and played a little bridge.
  She is survived by her sons Paul (Melissa) Kovach, Lakewood, CO, Steven Kovach, Red Lodge, MT, and Tom (Marilee) Kovach of Powell and her daughter Kathryn Deane of Santa Cruz, CA. She is also survived by her sister Peggy (Dale) Neff of Cody, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild with another 2 on the way and Mike Sterling, her partner of 34 years.
  She was preceded in death by her husband and parents. 
  Memorials in her memory can be made to the Powell Medical Foundation nursing scholarship program or charity of choice.
  The family wishes to thank the doctors and staff at the emergency room at Powell Valley Health Care, Linette Skinner at the Billings Clinic and the doctors in Billings who took such compassionate care of her during her final days.
  Thompson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.