Jim Kovash, 72, of The Villages, Florida, died in the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept. 7 after battling cancer.

He was born in Lemmon, South Dakota, but spent the majority of his life in Southern California, until he and his wife, Marge, moved to The Villages in 2021.

Jim served as a Military Police officer in Germany during the Vietnam War, and returned to a career in law enforcement. Being a police officer, or as he preferred to say, "peace officer," was an enormous point of pride for Jim and he would likely have stayed in the field until the end if work-related health issues hadn't led to early retirement. He was a lover of animals, especially German Shepherds, and had many throughout his life. He also leaves behind a cat named Jack.

Jim leaves behind his wife Marge, daughters Sarah and Hillary, step-son George, sister Linda,  as well as grandchildren Michael, Amelia, Juliette and Jack. He is preceded in death by his father Anthony, mother Perpetua and sister Vonnie.

A funeral service will be held at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18 at St. Timothy Catholic Church in The Villages, Florida. If unable to attend you can also watch online at https://sttimothycc.com

Flowers can be sent directly to Baldwin Brothers- Spanish Springs at:

1008 Bichara Boulevard The Villages, Florida 32159