Eli Kovalik Jr., of Somersworth, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover after a brief illness. Born in 1932 in Berlin, NH, he was the second child of Eli Sr. and Theodora Kovalik. Eli graduated from Berlin High School in 1950 and shortly thereafter served in the US Army in Germany during the time of the Korean War. In June of 1957, he married his hometown sweetheart, Patricia Jones (Patty) of Gorham. They lived for several years in the seacoast area before settling in Somersworth in 1967 when Eli began work for General Electric, continuing through to his retirement as a Laboratory Technician in 1993. A simple, hardworking, and dedicated man, Eli’s clear priority in life revolved around the care and provision for his wife and children. He loved his family and always put them first before his many interests which included ten pin bowling for the GE Jets, trapshooting, competitive handgun shooting, golf, billiards, wild mushroom picking, and working the daily crosswords, cryptoquotes, and especially the jumbles. In his younger days, he enjoyed skiing, ski jumping, fly fishing, and hunting. Over the years he developed a keen interest in lake trout fishing in the big lakes of New Hampshire. He consistently fished his “secret spot” for the biggest lakers, which can now be revealed as being near Sandwich Bay on big Squam Lake! Eli is survived by his wife of 62 years, Patricia, a son, Thomas Kovalik of Lebanon, ME, a daughter, Jennifer Santamaria, and her husband, Rob, of Las Vegas, NV, and his two lovely granddaughters, Anya and Nadia Santamaria, as well as several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his younger sister, Jennie Corriveau, and his older brother, Dr. John Kovalik. Services: A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 3rd, at Wiggins-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home at 655 Central Ave. in Dover, NH. Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home from 5:30-6:30 prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Charity. To sign our online guestbook, please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com