A tribute to gradutate, Ally Kowaluk
February 8, 2023
On Dec. 25, 2022, the Plainfield community lost a Plainfield South High School alumni after a fatal auto accident. Ally [Allyson] Kowaluk graduated in the spring of ‘22, leaving behind many loved ones and friends.
“[Ally] was an amazing person. She had a hard exterior and an attitude, didn’t care what people thought, and was not afraid to tell it like it was,” said Allyson’s mother, Sandy Kowaluk.
Her mother also described Ally as a girl who didn’t follow the crowd and marched to her own beat, stating that “Ally did Ally.”
Ally is survived by her twin Matthew Kowaluk, who shared the rare bond the two experienced together.
“Having her as a twin was like having a connection with someone that you can’t have with anyone else; when we were together, it was just so fun and amazing,” Matthew Kowaluk said.
Sandy Kowaluk also noticed their unbreakable bond from the beginning of their lives.
“She came into this world independent, although tightly bonded to Matthew,” Sandy Kowaluk said.
Even teachers noticed their special bond in the classroom.
“They stood out from the beginning because they were the epitome of twin siblings; sitting next to each other on the first day when they could have sat anywhere else away from each other in the classroom,” said forensics teacher Brian Zettergren, who had Ally in the year 2022, said.
Ally’s two older brothers, Joe and Earl, are also struggling with the tremendous loss.
“The boys and I are struggling with losing Ally every day. We are broken, we are lost, we are empty, and we are even angry,” Sandy Kowaluk said.
Ally left a footprint in the hearts of her dear friends. “I remember every morning in high school from freshman to senior year, I would look forward to seeing her at the ‘group locker meeting spot’,” close friend Jason Gerding said.
Gerding added that all of his memories of Ally were in a positive light, saying she brought immense joy to everyone around her.
In Ally’s middle school years, she played on the basketball team then continued to play freshman year of high school. She enjoyed many aspects of high school life, “she loved her art classes,” Sandy Kowaluk said.
Past teachers remember Ally for her positive attitude and role-model personality.
“Ally always made me smile, and I am very grateful that I was able to be her English teacher. She is an ideal student and has had a positive impact on Plainfield South High School,” English teacher Sue Kamrowski said.
Ally’s impact reached beyond the school and made its way to the Plainfield community. She worked at Plainfield Lanes where many customers found her very sweet and memorable. Regulars posted memories on her obituary.
The Plainfield community will miss Ally dearly, remembering her brightness.
Ally was undecided about her future, but, “she was considering a future in veterinary health,” Sandy Kowaluk said.
Ally has left a permanent imprint on those around her, changing lives for the better.
“She discussed things with me and sometimes changed my point of view with her knowledge and vision of things. She really and truly made me a better person,” Sandy Kowaluk said.
“Ally was a very strong-willed woman and never cared what anyone thought about her, which I admired so much. She may have been stubborn but she was also the most caring and loyal friend I have ever had. She always knew how to make someone laugh and liven up a room. She’s been one of my closest friends since 6th grade, I would even consider her a sister to me. Some of my favorite memories with her are spending days just playing video games together and just laughing for hours. We would even go sledding together in the winters, which I always loved to do with her and her siblings. So many memories and inside jokes made with this amazing woman and I will forever miss her.“ Erin Leonard.
“Allyson was an amazing person. She had a hard exterior and an attitude, didn’t care what people thought, and was not afraid to tell it like it was. She liked to even put her Mama in her place. But she was also compassionate and giving. She was an old soul. She came into this world independent, although tightly bonded to Matthew (her twin brother), and she liked to boss her brothers around. She also had 2 older brothers, Earl and Joey. But she was also highly protective of them, me, her family, and her friends. She loved fiercely. She was talented, funny, artistic, sweet, and beautiful. She had her own sense of style. She covered her smile often, but it lit up the whole room when she let it out. She loved all types of music (except country lol), video games, Marvel movies, her doggos, her late bunny Humphrey (who passed the day she graduated ☹️), and her squishmallows. She was just becoming an adult and finding her way. It is so hard to accept that her journey here was taken from her. I am still finding it hard to talk about her in the past tense. The heartbreak we are feeling is unimaginable. There will never again be a ‘normal’ for us. But we are trying to continue on the best we can. She was truly loved by so many people. Allyson will forever live on in our hearts and our souls. Allyson was passionate and silly. I miss that so much. She could always make people smile especially me. She was witty and sarcastic. She liked what she liked and was not a follower. Ally did Ally. Not always easy as a teenager in this world. She is my hero. I learned a lot from her. She showed me things, like Twenty One Pilots (her favorite band), that I would not have found on my own. She discussed things with me and sometimes changed my point of view with her knowledge and vision of things. She really and truly made me a better person,” Sandy Kowaluk.
Sonny Salerno • Feb 15, 2023 at 12:13 am
The first time I met the Kowaluk family was my 4th grade year of elementary school. Matthew being the first one called me out as soon as I walked into the YMCA door. He asked me, ”Is your name William?” I said, “no…” he followed up with, “you look like a William!” Later that morning I had seen him with a girl that looked exactly like him. After I put two and two together, I introduced myself to them and the rest was history. I spent almost everyday before and after school with them whether it was eating snacks their mom Ms. Sandy handed out to us or playing monkey on the wood chips at the playground… The days we weren’t allowed to play anything, we would listen to the stories their older brother Joey told. We also looked at his drawings he made to go along with the stories, or sometimes we would come up with voice impressions like Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Ronald McDonald. Those were just a few fond memories we had growing up. Ally was kind, loving, easy to talk to, funny, supportive, passionate. There’s not words good enough to describe her. Ally will forever stay in my heart and my love goes out to the Kowaluk family.