Dianne Marie Yovanovich

Dianne Yovanovich (Kowalski), formerly of Spring Hill, Florida, and originally from St. Clair Shores, Michigan, passed away peacefully on January 8, 2025, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Born on April 29, 1943, in Detroit to the late Elaine (Groesbeck) and Norman Kowalski, Dianne was a loving mother, wife, daughter, and friend. She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard Yovanovich, and survived by her daughters and son-in-law, Yvonne Yovanovich, Michelle (Michael) Yovanovich-Crane, along with fur grandkids Joey, Sammy, Gertie, and Wendel.

Dianne attended Sacred Heart elementary and middle school in Roseville, Michigan, where she met her lifelong best friend, Mary Collins (Wilder). Their bond, made over 70 years ago, remained unbreakable.

She was a 1961 graduate of Lakeview High School (St. Clair Shores), in the National Honor Society, and achieved the ranking of seventh in her class. Her knack for English grammar and sentence diagramming was extraordinary. She was always proud of her early career as an administrative assistant with General Motors, and later enjoyed her role as a scheduler in a Spring Hill, Florida hair salon.

During high school, Dianne met Richard, the love of her life. They married a few years after graduation, nurturing a loving relationship and unwaveringly supporting each other throughout their life journey together which included raising two daughters, throwing lots of holiday parties (Christmas was a favorite), disco lessons, trips to Disney World, moving to Florida after retirement, watching the beautiful Sand Hill Cranes and other wildlife outside their kitchen window, and endless Karaoke. Their love was resilient, and they were always by each other’s side through thick and thin.

Dianne was a true sun goddess and loved going to the beach. In her earlier days, she would pack up several neighborhood kids into her Corvette and head to Metro Beach in Harrison Twp, Michigan. These trips always included a dear family friend, Robin Trout (Hattey), who was like a third daughter and always made everyone laugh. Later in life, Dianne would take day trips to Pine Island in Spring Hill, Florida with Richard along with any visiting friends and family.

After her husband passed away, and she miraculously overcame an illness in Florida, Dianne moved back to Michigan in 2016 to live near her daughters. In the last eight years, she reconnected with so many dear friends and family, including the neighborhood kids. It was a true blessing to her. Even though she had some chronic health issues, she never let them get in the way and was always ready to get out and live. She enjoyed outdoor summer concerts, going to the movies, high school musicals, traveling to the Thumb, wheelchair walks in every season (sometimes crisp winter ones), Zoo Lights, playing UNO (she became an UNO shark), coloring, painting, and so much more.

During these years in Michigan there were some loving caregivers that helped her. We are grateful for their kindness to her and to the family.

Dianne will be flown to Florida to be laid to rest near her beloved husband, reuniting them in eternal peace. There will be no formal funeral service in Michigan.

For those desiring, contributions can be made in memory of Dianne to:

https://seasideseabirdsanctuary.org/donate

Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida. Once on the donation page, please look for the “I’d like to give in honor/memory” link on the left side of the page and enter Dianne Yovanovich.

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