- Date Of Birth: January 3, 1928
- Date Of Death: October 11, 2014
- State: Michigan
Patricia May Coveart, If you are reading this obituary then I have entered the spiritual world at the age of 86, on October 11, 2014 at Brittany Manor Living and Rehab Center in Midland, Michigan. I have been a patient there since December of 2011, a victim of dementia and congestive heart failure.
Much of my life has revolved around music – especially playing the piano. I was born near Nelson, in
Saginaw County in January of 1928. My parents were James J. Lucas and Verna A. (Reed, Lucas) Sarver.
My mother was teaching in the one-room school near Nelson when she met and married my father.
Both of my parents could sing and Dad could play the violin so music was important to all of us.
We moved to Mt. Pleasant after Mother changed schools and Dad accepted a job making deliveries for
the Fabiano Brothers’ business. At the age of 5, I started taking lessons for tap dancing and playing the
piano. When my hands were large enough to play chords, I accompanied my dad when he played at
town halls and at square dances around Mt. Pleasant. My younger sister, Nancy, also learned the piano
at an early age and we would play duets (four hands – one piano) for my parents, relatives and
neighbors. As a teenager, I earned money by playing for dances at the Odd Fellows Hall in Mt. Pleasant
and I played there from 1942 to 1945.
Mother, Nancy and I moved to Clare, (mom changed schools again) where in 1943 I joined the Clare
High School Band and played drums. This is where I met my husband-to-be, Garry Coveart, who also
played in the percussion section. When the band director discovered that I played the piano, he
purchased a Glockenspiel for me to play in the marching band!
I graduated from Clare High School in 1945 and I worked at Bicknells until I married Garry Coveart in
Vestaburg on June 16, 1946. Garry had begun working at the Dow Corning Corporation in 1944 after his
graduation. We lived in several places in our early marriage; with Grandma Frantz, in Mt. Pleasant; at
the first apartment house in Midland, the Wilson Apartments owned by Garry’s uncle, Frank Wilson; and
in Sanford at Zig-Zag Point and on Irish Street.
Our daughter, Sandra Lee, was born in February of 1949. Our daughter, Nancy June, was stillborn in
April of 1952. Our son, Terry John, was born in November of 1953 and our son, Kevin Eugene was born
in 1959. As our children grew we used to sing, dance and whistle around the piano. I worked as an
accompanist with a dance director so that students at Sanford Elementary School could have tap and
ballet lessons. My friend Marge Clipper used to play duets with me when our friends got together for
card parties.
In 1952, I started playing the piano for the Sanford United Methodist Church. Soon I became the
assistant organist, the Chancel Choir director and accompanist and the Adult Choir director and
accompanist. My tenure at organ and piano continued there for 46 years. My friends Andrea Archer
and Judy Braid played organ and piano duets with me at the church.
After having driven school busses at Meridian Public Schools for eighteen years, I retired in 1986. Garry and I started going to Ruskin, Florida for the winters. We bought a home there in 1992 and spent many good winters there and made many friends. My friend, Leota Campbell and I played piano duets (on two keyboards) for picnics and special occasions. But after losing many of our friends to “old age” and illness in Ruskin, we sold our Florida home in 2009 and have resided in Sanford year-round since that time.
I loved spending time with friends, my children and grandchildren. I enjoyed traveling, camping (especially at Mackinaw City and Sault Ste. Marie when I was able) as well as playing cards and doing crossword puzzles. I sewed dance costumes, knitted and crocheted mittens and afghans for my family members. I loved watching birds at our bird feeder and was a fan of the Meridian High School Girls’ Softball team and the Detroit Tigers.
Please remember my loving family in your thoughts and prayers: Garry, my beloved and devoted husband of 68 years; my children, Sandra Coveart of Midland; Terry (Laura) Coveart of Roscommon; and Kevin (Debbie) Coveart of DeWitt; my grandchildren, Darin (Karen) Coveart of Jackson; Kyle Coveart of Murfreesboro, TN; Jessica (Mark) Jungerheld of Plymouth; and Andrew Coveart of DeWitt. Also my precious great-granddaughter, Leah Jungerheld of Plymouth; my sister, Nancy (Ernest) Rogers of Sheridan; several nieces and nephews and a special friend, Chris Laitner of Midland, who survive me.
