Mary Lou Milovich (nee Sabolich), 82, of Elyria Township, passed away Wednesday March 21, 2018 at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain after a lengthy illness, surrounded by her family.

She was born July 12, 1935 in Lorain and had been a lifelong Elyria area resident.

Mary Lou graduated from Elyria High School in 1953.  For many years she worked at Lorain County Community College as an Administrator in various departments, including many of them in the Public Services Institute, overseeing the Driver Remedial Program before retiring from the College with well over 20 years of service.  She also served as a Precinct Committee Elected Official and then a Presiding Judge for the Lorain County Board of Elections for years.

Mary Lou was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Elyria Township and was a lifelong member of the former St. Vitus Croatian Catholic Church in Lorain where she sang in the church choir.  She served as financial secretary for the Croatian Catholic Union Lodge #17 for many years until the Croatian Catholic Union merged with the Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge #136.   She also traveled with the C.C.U.  Lodge Tamburitizans in bowling tournaments.

Mary Lou was proud of her Croatian heritage and was a driving force, amongst other young Croatians, in a new movement in 1959 to organize the Lira Tamburitzans, playing the Prim in the Orchestra.  She represented the Croatian nationality at the Lorain International Festival and Bazaar, dancing kolos on stage during the entertainment, and worked at their booth.  She also formed a festival group teaching the kolo to her daughters and other girls and they performed as well.

Mary Lou was a devoted and caring wife, mother and grandmother.  She enjoyed working on daily crossword puzzles, going on casino bus trips, traveling to Las Vegas and was an avid Cleveland sports and Ohio State Buckeyes fan.

Mary Lou will be very deeply missed by her family.  She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Donald Milovich; children, Annette Milovich of Elyria Township, Christine Milovich Lesko of New York and Nicholas Milovich (Taryn) of Westlake; 6 grandchildren; and brother, Stephen L. Sabolich (Cynthea) of Westlake.  She was preceded in death by her eldest daughter, Karen Milovich in 2002, father, Louis Sabolich in 1953, mother, Mary A. Simunovic (nee Mikulan) in 2010, stepfather, George I. Simunovic in 2012 and sister, Mildred A. Sabolich in 2010.