Ralph John Kovach

Ralph John Kovach MD, born August 27th, 1925 in Cleveland, passed from this earth July 3rd, 2022. Ralph was a long time resident of Gates Mills, and was a graduate of Cathedral Latin HS, the University of Dayton and the Loyola University Medical School (CHI). Ralph grew up in the strongly Hungarian Buckeye Road area of Cleveland, and had a lifetime appreciation of Central European cuisine. During WWII, Ralph served in the Navy as a corpsman at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Bethesda Hospital in Washington DC. Ralph had a long and distinguished career as an Orthopedic Surgeon in the Cleveland area, practicing medicine at Deaconess, St. Alexis, St. Luke’s and Marymount Hospitals. He was elected Chief of Orthopedics at St. Alexis for 12 years and Chief of Staff for 6 years. A lifetime fan of Cleveland sports, he was a team doctor for both the Indians and the Browns during the 1960s. Ralph was an active enthusiast and breeder of purebred dogs. He was a longtime standing member and past president of the Western Reserve Kennel Club, and was a co-owner with his wife Erma of the High-Flyer Kennel. Ralph was a loving father, and leaves behind children Matthew (Lisa), Christopher, Daniel (Leslie), and Stacey Kovach; grandchildren Courtney and Joshua Kovach; and sister-in-law Patricia Bahas. He was preceded in death by his wife Erma; parents John Kovach and Barbara Torda; and sibling John Steven Kovach.

There will be a Catholic interment ceremony at the Gates Mills North Cemetery at 2pm on Tuesday July 19th, 2022. (PLEASE MEET AT CEMETERY). In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Ralph’s name may be made to the American Kennel Club https://www.akc.org/ (Please click on link below) or a pet rescue charity of your choice.