Jovanina Wilson died Friday, August 26, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio after a nine month battle with a rare cancer.  She was born October 11, 2003 to Marissa Ellis and Roy Wilson and her beloved older brother Isaac Wilson. 

Her grandparents were Bee and Len Ellis and Roy and Florence Wilson, of Valparaiso.

Jovanina graduated this past June from Valparaiso High School.  She was a member of the National Honor Society and the International Thespian Society.   

She was a vivacious and gifted singer and actor.  She started performing in plays and musicals at age eight with Premier Performance of Northwest Indiana, and the Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso.  At VHS she was a four year member of the Drama Club and the Varsity Singers.  In her senior year, she was the Singers’ choreographer.   She also took part in annual improv performances. 

She appeared in countless musicals and plays during her short life, including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Matilda, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream  The Lion King, Annie, Clue, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrob, e Coraline, and her final production, Ranked.

She had a powerfully strong work ethic and was known for memorizing all the parts in all the productions she was cast in.  Her dream was to one day perform professionally on Broadway in New York City.  The cancer forced her to miss her audition with the Juilliard School and put an end to her pursuit of a theatrical college career.   

She was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type, a  rare and aggressive disease.   She was treated primarily at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Cancer Center.  

Her family wants to thank all the friends and family, neighbors, Drama Club members and Varsity Singers who made the trip to Cincinnati to visit Jovanina in her final weeks and for the stunning outpouring of love and support they’ve 

received from hundreds of Jova’s friends and teachers; especially Drama Club teacher Colleen Peluso, Lisa Formosa-Parmigiano of the Chicago Street Theatre, her voice teacher Colleen Lovinello and improv instructor Matt McCann.  

Special thanks go Jovanina’s aunt and uncle Neenah Ellis and Noah Adams, and special family members Shayla and Jeb Bateman, who supported the family in the last weeks in Cincinnati.  

A scholarship fund will soon be created to benefit young thespians in their pursuit of excellence. 

When a friend heard of Jovanina’s passing, she said:  The night sky is one star brighter.