Submitted by: Nadine A. Hardin
Name: Kovachevich, Craig Neal
Names mentioned: Bech, Fall, Glander, Holtman, Kovachevich,
Wiser.
South Bend Tribune, Obituaries; August 9, 2009.
Craig Neal Kovachevich (Dec. 23, 1967 - Aug. 6, 2009).
LINCOLN CITY, OR -Craig Neal Kovachevich of Lincoln City died
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2009, in Providence Hospital in Portland. He
was 41. He was born Dec. 23, 1967, in Lafayette, Ind., to Larry
and Marsha C. (Fall) Kovachevich. Craig grew up in
Portland and Bend, Ore. He played defensive back on the football
team and ran the 100 meters, 200 meters and relay on the track
team for the Bend Lava Bears, and graduated from Bend High
School. He trained in the restaurant management, catering and
hospitality industries. During his time in Portland, he met and
married Heather Marie Bech of Boise, Idaho. Craig and
Heather moved to Boise in 1994, where they owned and ran several
successful businesses. Also while living in Boise, they had two
sons, Kevin Alex and Kole Michael Kovachevich. After Heather's
untimely death in 2001 from cystic fibrosis, the family was
devastated. Heather was truly the light and passion of their
lives. Craig, Kevin and Kole moved back to Oregon in 2003 and
settled in the Lincoln City area to be near his family. He
continued in his restaurant career on the Oregon Coast at the
Pelican Pub & Brewery, McMenamins, Kyllo's and Roadhouse 101.
He is survived by his sons, Kevin and Kole; grandmother, Evelyn
Kovachevich of South Bend, Ind.; his father, Larry, and
stepmother, Jeanetta Kovachevich of Winchester, Ore.; his mother,
Marsha C. Fall, and stepfather, Roger Holtman;
stepbrother, Ryan, and stepsister, Jessica Holtman; sister,
Jennifer Wiser, and husband, Steve; brother, Ty Glander,
and nephew, Christian; and in-laws, Mike and Rita Bech of Boise,
their son, Kevin, and his children, Riley and Keith of Parma,
Idaho. The love of his life, his wife Heather, died earlier. He
did not remarry. He is deeply mourned and sorely missed by his
loving family and friends. A memorial service will be held at 2
p.m. today, Aug. 9, at Coast Vineyard Church, 1505 N.E. 6th
Drive, Lincoln City. There is an informal gathering after church
services at Roadhouse 101, 4649 S.W. Highway 101, Lincoln City. A
memorial fund has been set up for the family at Wells Fargo Bank
in Lincoln City.