Youngstown - John R. Kovach Sr. passed away at home on Wednesday, March 24. He was born on April 22, 1940, in Youngstown, a son of John �³Pope�² and Matilda (Duritza) Kovach, and grew up in Campbell. John was a 1958 graduate of Campbell Memorial High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council, and he played football, baseball and basketball in his youth. As center for the 1957 football team, where he earned the nickname �³Beef,�² he helped lead the Red Devil squad to a Steel Valley Conference Championship, and earned distinction as a member of the All-Ohio team. He went on to play football at Indiana University and graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor�¹s degree. At YSU, he was a reporter for the student newspaper �³The Jambar.�² John began a career that lasted over 40 years as an award-winning sportswriter for The Youngstown Vindicator, covering a wide array of high school, college and professional sports. He wrote a weekly column for many years profiling college athletes from the area and could be counted on for his vast knowledge of area athletics. Outside of his professional career, John parlayed his interest in sports into many diverse activities. In the 1970s, he helped found both the Ohio and Youngstown Touch and Flag Football Leagues and served as commissioner. During this time period, he also started the �³Run for Fun�² mini-marathon in Youngstown. An inventor who held several patents, he created two sports-themed board games in the 1980s: �³Touch and Flag Football�² and �³Dice Baseball,�² which sold in local retail outlets. In recent years, he helped to establish a high school basketball series at the Covelli Center, to give young players the experience of playing in a big arena. Outside of sports, John was president of the John Kovach Company, which developed new electronic, electrical, and mechanical innovations. John was also an avid reader of the classics and became an author himself when his book, �³Appleland,�² an adventure tale, was published in 2007. Also in 2007, John founded the Campbell Memorial High School Alumni Association and served as its president. He was very dedicated to the Alumni Association�¹s efforts to establish college scholarships for Campbell Memorial graduates. Throughout his life, he accomplished all of his activities in his quiet and unassuming way. He was a lifelong member of St. Michael�¹s Byzantine Catholic Church in Campbell, a member of the Greek Catholic Union Lodge 360, the YMCA, the Youngstown-Warren Inventors Association, the Youngstown Newspaper Guild, and the Communications Workers of America. John was a very dedicated and loving grandfather, known as �³Papa�² to his cherished grandchildren, and took great joy in the many hours he spent with them. He leaves his wife of Youngstown, Nancy (Caldwell) Kovach, whom he married on June 11, 1966; his daughter, D�¹Arcy Kovach of Cleveland; his daughter-in-law, Dr. Pamela Guerriere-Kovach, and his three grandchildren, Priscilla, Jonathan, and Erica Kovach, all of Canfield; his sister, Marsha (Carl) Yeager of Canfield; and his brother, Robert (Teena) Kovach of Howland. In addition, he leaves his uncle, Edward (Bernadette) Kovach of Poland; his aunts, Helen Chicone of Lakeland, Fla., and Marie Kovach of Austintown; and many cousins, sisters and brothers-in law, and nieces and nephews; as well as his dear friends, Bob and Phyllis Ricchiuti and Ron and Joyce Tofil. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, John R. Kovach Jr., who passed away on Nov. 29, 2009. Calling hours will be Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wasko Funeral Home in Campbell, where a prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Michael�¹s Byzantine Catholic Church in Campbell. Interment will be at St. Michael's Byzantine Catholic Cemetery Memorial contributions may be made to the Campbell Memorial Alumni Association, 280 Sixth Street, Campbell, OH 44405.