Ann Pekarovich

Obituary for Ann Pekarovich - Morongo Basin Pioneer

Ann Pekarovich, affectionately known by family and friends as "Granny," passed away peacefully in Scarborough, Maine, on September 1, 2025, at the home of her granddaughter Caren and her Wife Jasmine Bishop. She was 89. Ann and her daughter Cindy and Son-in-Law John had been living there since moving back to New England from Reno where the 3 of them shared a home with her son Art during Covid times.

Born on November 18, 1935, Ann grew up in Sunfair, California, a community near the northeast corner of the Joshua Tree National Monument. As a child, she loved to explore the wide-open desert on horseback with her friends.

In her early adulthood, she and her husband, Daniel Pekarovich (deceased August 15, 2005) began a heavy equipment paving and grading business whose ongoing work over four decades, helped to literally shape the high desert from Western Hills Estates to Pioneer Town and beyond.

Ann also worked at Vons in Yucca Valley, and later as a bus driver for SunLine in Palm Springs, and finally, as a school bus driver's aide for the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada. She established lasting friendships at every step of the way in her life. In a cross-country trip from Reno to New England with her daughter Cynthia and Son-in-Law John, they went through Yellowstone, and over the Teton Pass into Jackson Hole. Next stop was Laramie, Wyoming where they spent a few days visiting with Ann's lifelong friend, Norma on her 300 acre ranch. Their reminiscing revealed many amazing stories of the early years in the Morongo Basin. For example, in 1945, Norma and Ann rode on horseback from Sunfair to Pioneertown alone, and yes, that was at the age of 10!

Ann had an adventurous spirit, skydiving twice while in her 60's and traveling with her cousin to Hawaii, and with her daughter to Cabo San Lucas. Other adventures included circumnavigating North America with her husband in their motorhome, and an epic Gold Mining adventure in Wickenburg, AZ.

Above all, Ann cherished time with her family playing card games daily with daughter Cindy and any other family members or friends that may wander by to become their next penny ante victim.

Ann is survived by her loving daughter and son-in-law John & Cindy Bishop of Maine, her grandchildren Justin Bishop of New Hampshire, Jesse Bishop of Ventura, CA, Richard Bishop of Massachusetts, and Caren Bishop of Maine. Her great-grandchildren are Kendra and Kelsea Bishop of New Hampshire, and Jacob, Callista and Jax Bishop of Massachusetts. She has one great-great-granddaughter, Delilah Bishop of New Hampshire.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Daniel and three of her four children-Karen, Mark, and most recently Art who passed just two and a half years ago. She was also preceded in death by her grandson Joseph Ryan Bishop, son of John and Cindy, who was tragically killed in the 1992 Landers Earthquake. The sole fatality.

Ann and Daniel were lifelong members of the Elks and were regulars at the Yucca Valley Lodge, and participants in many of the local charitable works of that organization. They added visiting lodge pins for Elks branches across the USA during their travels.

A private celebration of Life is planned for Ann in 2026 in the Yucca Valley area.