Joan Rita Ivanof

Special Note: The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed via https://basilica.nd.edu/sacraments/funerals/funerals-livestream/
Joan Rita Ivanof, age 84, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 1, 2023, at the Center for Hospice Care in Mishawaka, IN, following a long journey of Parkinson's and more recently breast cancer. She was born March 23, 1939, in South Bend, IN to Zenon John and Florence Magdalene Widawski. She was a 1957 graduate of St. Joseph High School. She married Boris George Ivanof on July 14, 1962 at St Adalbert's Catholic Church in South Bend, IN. She worked right out of high school for a short time at Associates, assisted for a brisk time with the Head Start Program in Lydick, IN, worked alongside her husband maintaining soccer fields for Michiana Soccer Association, and later in life worked at Walmart as a Pharmacy Technician for a brief time. Her primary focus was raising and taking care of her family.
Joan met her husband, when he delivered a Christmas tree to her home in 1961. After their wedding in 1962, they moved to Westbury, NY and had their first child. Shortly after this, they moved back to South Bend, IN and had two more children. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Colleen Ivanof and her partner Rob Haney of South Bend, IN, Sonja Maria Ivanof of Wyoming, MN, Noreen Rose Buczek and husband Michael Joseph Buczek of South Bend, IN; grandchildren, Kyle Christopher Stahl and Tyler Anthony Lynch.
Joan loved BINGO and had every color imaginable for daubers along with unique lucky charms " trolls" were the best. She would help you out if you needed it while watching her many packets at the same time. She enjoyed baking and was known for her famous homemade Keflies during Christmas. During Fat Tuesday, she would make true Polish Paczki - raspberry was the best. Some other favorites for family and friends were; chicken paprika, beef stroganoff, meatloaf, potato salad and pulled beef. When she wasn't baking or cooking, she crocheted and sewed with passion and love. Joan was also a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish and was part of the choir for years along with singing during the Midnight Masses at the Basilica of Notre Dame, IN. Joan would use her singing voice to cheer on the Indianapolis Colts during football season and then take part in fun euchre cards games with family and friends while having a never-ending game of Uno with her grandson Kyle. Joan was also a former Town Board Member of Indian Village, South Bend, IN.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at The Basilica of The Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, IN. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 375 Cleveland Road, Granger, IN 46530. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN 46628. A rosary will be prayed at 7:45 pm. The family would like to express a heartfelt thank you for the remarkable compassionate care given by Center for Hospice Care. The compassion, dignity and expertise were provided in every step. We were blessed to have them in our lives – it was life changing which enriched our lives. Online condolences may be left at www.kaniewski.com
Donations can be made to: Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Pl, Mishawaka, IN 46545 https://cfhcare.org/.
Donations can also be made to: Pet Refuge, 4626 S Burnett Drive, South Bend, IN 46614 https://www.petrefuge.com/
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