John T Kovach Jr.

John Thomas Kovach Jr., 67, of Clearfield Pennsylvania, passed away on Tuesday, April 28th 2026 , at the Gatehouse in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

He was born on Friday the 13th of May, 1958, to John Thomas Kovach Sr. and Edna Mae (Comitz) Kovach of Osceola Mills, Pennsylvania where he was raised with his younger sister Darlene. In his teen years, John began his lifelong love of music as he worked with local bands to put on shows and was known to go out on the town dressed as "KISS" with his close friends. He met his wife Toni (Pizzella) Kovach and they were married on September 28th 1985, raising with her a family of four kids that spanned from '88 to '01. John spent his professional life working with individuals with mental and physical handicaps, helping them live their life to their fullest potential. He had great lifelong bonds with many of his clients and colleagues.

John greatly enjoyed the festivities of the month of October. He would often dress up in full vampire or grim reaper attire to give out candy at the annual Halloween Parade and trick-or-treat in Clearfield. In his younger days, he did many side gigs (some uninvited) as the grim reaper for people's 50th birthdays. He had a strong interest in old & retro hearses, which would make the publication of this obituary a strangely bittersweet moment in his eyes. He and his children also enjoyed sci-fi, especially the world of Star Trek.

He instilled in his children his love of music and heritage, at one point directing a slavic kolędy choir, uniting his cultural slavic heritage with his family's life in the St. Francis Roman Catholic Church/School community in Clearfield where he and his wife often volunteered and taught marriage classes. He and his children were also active in the mass choir.

His family has many great memories singing, hunting, fishing, baking, and building and playing on computers with him as well as many family trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He'd tetris the family vehicle full of supplies, gear, and people to the point where we'd joke that we traveled like the "Beverly Hillbillies," but it was important to him to make sure we all had the best vacation possible. His family appreciated that and all the other small and large things he would do to show his kids and wife he loved them and was thinking of them.

He is survived by his wife, Toni (Pizzella) Kovach, and four children: Rebecca Kovach (Adam Phillips) of Erie PA, Claire Kovach (Michael DeLyser) of State College, Vincent Kovach of Harrisburg, and Dominic Kovach of State College. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother Lois (Baughman/Kephart) Kovach, and sister Darlene (Kovach) Smolko.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that family and friends donate to the Alzheimer's Association or the local Allegheny Spay and Neuter Clinic.

Memorial services will be held at a time to be announced.

Dad, we'll miss you. Love, your family. "Live Long, & Prosper."