James "Jim" J. Kovacevich, 86, formerly of Lead and Whitewood, died Saturday, May 9, 2015, at the Belle Fourche Healthcare Community.

Jim was born May 15, 1928, in Lead, SD, to Peter and Frances (Spaleta) Kovacevich. He graduated from Lead Catholic High School in the class of 1946, and was a resident of Lead for 65 years.

Jim joined the US Army in January 1951, serving in Korea. He was wounded in November of 1951 in Mango-Ri N. Korea and received the Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Army Occupation Medal (Japan). He was Honorably Discharged in December 1952. Jim Married Rose Marie Zambon at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Lead on May 4, 1968. He was a Plumber and pipefitter operating Jim's Plumbing and HVAC in Lead. In the early 1990's, they relocated to Whitewood where Jim built a home in Whitewood Forest Acres and he continued to work in his field until his health forced him to quit.

Jim's life's highlights were: his career in the Plumbing and HVAC business, and in particular installing the HVAC in the "new" Catholic Church in Lead, building a cabin near Savoy on the road to Roughlock Falls and its many, many memories, fishing nearly every year in Alaska, visits to Canada, Italy, Monte Carlo, Croatia, Panama, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, and his lifelong love of hunting in the Black Hills and Lead.

Jim is survived by his brother-in-law, Del (Jean) Zambon; sister-in-law, Marian Zambon; and many loving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rose; parents, Peter and Frances; and 13 brothers and sisters.

A rosary will be held Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Lead.

A memorial mass will be held Friday, May 22, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Lead with Father Leo Hausmann officiating. Inurnment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery.

A memorial has been established to the Shriners Children's Hospital.

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