Eugene Joseph Kovarik

Eugene Joseph Kovarik, 95, of Jacksonville, died peacefully at his home, Camellia of Deerwood, on September 13, 2026.

Eugene was born in 1931, at home, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Frank and Susan Kovarik. His father had a grocery store across the street from their house, and Gene and his two brothers worked there as children. Gene honed his addition skills hand-calculating orders and had many stories to tell about delivering groceries to neighbors. He attended grade school at St. John The Baptist School, where there were 82 students in his class and one nun for a teacher! He had straight A’s all through school, and graduated from St. Mary’s High School (Southside) a year early in 1948. He graduated summa cum laude from St. Louis University in 1952 with a degree in industrial engineering.

Gene joined the General Electric Company for a two-year management training program. His first position was as test engineer in the Jet Engine Division in Cincinnati, OH, with his next rotation in Johnson, City, NY, then on to Ft. Wayne, IN. In 1953, he married Diana Catherine Brown, his sweetheart from back home. His next position was in the Manufacturing Management Program in Schenectady, NY. While there, he was drafted into the Army.

After basic training at Camp Chaffee, AR, he joined the engineering command of the Army Chemical Corps at the Edgewood Arsenal, Belaire, MD. Gene was also the bus driver for the base, which got him out of kitchen duty and other tedious chores. He picked up people in Baltimore for dances on the base and he picked up soldiers for church on Sundays. Gene and Diana welcomed their first two children, Lisa and Kathy, while he was in the Army.

After his discharge, he returned to the GE. Third child Rob was born in 1957. This stretch at GE took the family to Louisville, KY, and then to Holland, MI, where the family dressed up in wooden shoes and enjoyed the tulips.

Back in Cincinnati, Gene was named manager of Quality Control for all purchase materials at the GE Evendale Jet Engine plant. He attended night classes to earn an MBA at Xavier University in 1962. Daughter Jennifer was born in 1964. He became program manager for the TF39 project, a military engine for the Air Force.

In 1972, Gene took over the AC Motor Division in Crotonville, NY. In 1976 he moved the division to Nashville, where he became a GE Vice President at the age of 45, reporting to Jack Welch. In 1981 the Motor and Drive Division moved to Philadelphia and Gene assumed responsibility for GE’s world-wide business in power delivery and control. In Philadelphia he was also involved in various community services, including heading up the United Way campaign.

In early 1990, Gene went for GE to Czechoslovakia to evaluate powertrains for the newly independent country. He took some time to look for his Bohemian ancestors. In May, he returned to address a gathering of major U.S. corporations, President Vaclav Havel, and Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Army liberation of the country during World War II. The Czech government had located his grandfather’s birthplace, and he made many contacts in Sveradice, his ancestral home. He was always quite proud of his Bohemian heritage.

Gene retired from General Electric in 1993 and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to be near family. In retirement he served on several Boards: G&W Electric in Chicago, 1993-2023; Smit Transformers in Nijmegen, Netherlands, 1994-2001; Silvey Enterprises, Atlanta, 1996-2000. He volunteered with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) in Jacksonville, mentoring individuals who were starting small businesses. He also worked in Ukraine, Armenia, and Turkey with the International Executive Service Corp. He was a devout member of Holy Family Catholic Church and served on the School Board for the parish school.

For 32 years, he lived next door to Lisa and her family and spent part of many weeks in Orlando with his daughter Jennifer and her family and in Kentucky with the families of Kathy and Rob. His handyman services and investment advice were appreciated by all. By his example, he taught his children and grandchildren to work hard and always put saving and giving above spending. He could talk with anyone, an invaluable tool in business and in life.

He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Diana, and his brothers James and Albert. He is survived by his children, Lisa Bolling (Jim) of Jacksonville; Kathleen Kahmann (Jim) of Florence, KY; Robert Kovarik (Kim) of Orlando and Lexington, KY; Jennifer Coleman (Michael) of Orlando; 16 grandchildren (with whom he and Diana traveled the world); and 24 great grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, November 21, 2026, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 9800 Baymeadows Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32256.

Donations in Gene’s memory can be made to the homeless shelter, The Sulzbacher Center, 611 E. Adams St., Jacksonville, FL 32202.