Jody Cowgill Gyokeres, age 81, died peacefully in her sleep 25 June 2026 at Fox Run Senior Living in Novi Mi. from heart failure after a long battle with Parkinson's. Her two sons were by her side during her final days.

Born 28 Feb 1945, Jody was the daughter of William Parker Cowgill and Barbara Brown. As the eldest and “Sissy #1” of five, she is survived by her brother Parker Cowgill and her sisters Molly Cowgill, M.D. and Faith Cowgill, M.D.. Her brother, Peter Cowgill, passed away in 2024.

She was a fiercely proud, devoted and loving mom to two sons, Edward Parker Gyokeres (Tina) and Zachary Marshall Gyokeres (Vicki), and one grandchild, Maggie Ameigh Gyokeres.

Jody graduated high school at Columbia School in Rochester NY in 1962, then received an Associates Degree from Bradford Junior College in 1964. She then obtained a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Tulsa in 1967 and interned in Anaheim Ca. Later in her career she attended the school of criminal justice at Michigan State University, studying forensics.

She married Michael Albert Gyokeres of Detroit in 1970, and moved to Howell Mi. where she raised her sons and worked as the head of the blood bank in the laboratory of McPherson Hospital in Howell. She was extremely active in the community and volunteered with a number of organizations and events, most notably as an arson investigator for the Howell Volunteer Fire dept. She was also a longtime choir member in the local Sweet Adelines chapter and volunteered at the Howell Balloon Festival for many years.

Her marriage to Mike Gyokeres ended in 2000 and she moved south to Marathon Fla.; the place she fully adopted as her home for the remainder of her life. She loved the weather and spirit of the Florida Keys, and promptly built a thriving network of friends while working in the Laboratory of Fishermen's Hospital in Marathon until her retirement.

Her passion for volunteering only blossomed in Florida, and she was a tireless supporter at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon Fl.; an organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of endangered sea turtles. In addition to her work with the Turtle hospital, she also played the role of Ms Claus in the local christmas parade for over a decade. Not content with just sitting on a float and playing on the beach with endangered wildlife, She also obtained an FCC operators licence at age 70 and served on the Fishermen's Hospital Hurricane Rideout Team as a ham radio operator while everyone else evacuated during a series of catastrophic hurricanes. If there was an event going on in her community, Jody was most likely an active participant.

She faced life with a pugnacious determination, boundless optimism and fierce independence that could be frustrating, but was always inspiring. She could be, as one would say, “A lot.”

Nobody who met her walked away without knowing who she was and what it meant to be the central focus of her care and attention. She had a smile that lit up a room, and a bubbly cheer and enthusiasm that was infectious. For all her honest intensity and occasional lack of filter, her childlike sincerity and genuine interest balanced it out. You knew instantly she had the best intentions and just wanted to be your friend.

She intuitively knew there was a good person to meet in everyone who crossed her path. That could be a lot for some, including her family, but if you understood her, you were better for the experience. She was the tireless light for so many others, and while her glow has been extinguished, she has brightened the lives of countless people who now carry her flame.

No memorial service is planned at this time, but she has expressed that donations in her name be be made to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch at: www.youthranches.org