Elizabeth "Betty" Iovanna

Elizabeth “Betty” Zalenski Iovanna was born on February 20, 1927 in Jamaica, Queens, New York to Polish parents Mary Mudzinski and Ben Zalenski, whose own parents immigrated from Łódź, Poland to America.

The third of ten children, her life-long dedication to helping others would professionally begin with her night supervisor position as Head Nurse at the Mary Immaculate Hospital, in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

She met her spouse on a blind date and after a wonderful courtship involving long-distance and fun-filled parties with friends, she married the charismatic and handsome Edmund Iovanna. Their family grew with the birth of their four children; Paul (Michele), Diane, Claudia (Thomas Ray), and Matthew, all of whom would reside and grow up in the town of Mahopac, New York. Her balance of homemaker and a career woman would then take her from the wards inside New York City towards the path of a School Nurse. As her family grew and moved, so too did her career paths. She went back to school and earned another degree as a Mathematics Teacher. This next profession in her life brought her to elementary schools in Beaufort, S.C., and finally to Sunset Park Elementary in Rock Hill, S.C.

While Mrs. Iovanna’s dedication to her students’ success could be felt and witnessed across South Carolina, her dedication to children and their potential didn’t end with teaching Mathematics. She focused her retirement years on supporting her seven grandchildren and the dreams they had. She was always at their school functions, and numerous sporting events, she supported their growing faiths in the Catholic community, and she always had her camera ready for the memories and a cake to celebrate. Betty made the best cakes, she made the best baklava, and she shared them with any and all who asked. When she wasn’t baking, cooking, planning, or hosting a big birthday or holiday event for anyone in the family, Betty found more time to stay active by square dancing, clogging, and going to the gym with Ed. When she buried her beloved husband, Ed Iovanna in 1999, her dedication to making sure her children and her children’s children were taken care of would continue, as she always watched over her family.  She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Edmund Iovanna and Elizabeth Z. Iovanna were married for 39 years before his passing. Mrs. Elizabeth Zalenski Iovanna departed this earthly world on what would have been their seventy-third wedding anniversary to her beloved Edmund Iovanna, 06-09-2023. Here’s hoping Ed was at the gates with a gift in hand and ready to keep up.