Jo Ann Bauer Kovach

Jo Ann Bauer Kovach, 87, of North Myrtle Beach, SC, died at Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC on April 6, 2026. Jo Ann was born in Wheeling, WV on October 7, 1938, to the late Martin Louis and Elizabeth Blazek Bauer. She was a retired Registered Nurse whose life was marked by compassion, strength, and devotion to others. She graduated from the Wheeling Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1959 where she learned hands on at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH and St. Frances Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. She later worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Parkersburg, WV. In 1962, she married the late Walter Arthur Kovach. They lived in Columbus, OH for many years before retiring to North Myrtle Beach, SC. She was a devout Catholic, being a parishioner of St. Andrew Catholic Church (OH), and later, Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church (SC). She volunteered for several years at Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. Her greatest role, however, was that of mother and grandmother. She was deeply devoted to her daughter, Heddy Kovach Clark. Their bond was one of enduring love, closeness, and mutual devotion, and Jo Ann was profoundly proud of the woman her daughter became. Her motherly love extended to her son-in-law, James Clark, who truly became a son to her and whose steadfast support and loving presence she cherished. She also adored her grandson, Grayson Clark, in whom she found so much joy, pride, and happiness. Watching him grow was a great blessing of her later years, and she loved him beyond measure. She is survived by her daughter, Heddy Kovach Clark; her son-in-law, James Clark; her grandson, Grayson Clark, all of Wilmington, NC; one sister, Betty Lou Carter (Gerald Carter) of Morgantown, WV, and several nieces and nephews. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Church. Entombment will follow at a later date in Parkersburg, WV. Memorials may be made to the Wheeling Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Scholarship Fund (c/o Theresa B. Leo, Treasurer WHSNAA, Rockledge Road, Wheeling, WV 26003) and the Grand Strand Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary Health Profession Scholarship Fund (call 216- 256-7638 for more information).

Jo Ann Bauer Kovach

October 7, 1938 - April 6, 2026