Eugene Merton (Couturier) Novak, 90, of Franklin, IN passed away on Monday, April 27, 2026 at Morning Pointe of Franklin.

He was born May 23, 1935 in South Haven, Michigan.  Eugene married Bernadette (Koller) Novak on April 4, 1959 at St. Basil Catholic Church in South Haven, Michigan; she preceded him in death on July 25, 2002.

Eugene was a graduate of South Haven High School in South Haven, MI. He then became a monk in the Paulist order for two years prior to graduating from the Culinary Institute at Yale University.

He had served as head chef of Fredericks Restaurant, head chef for the New York Giants, the Heidelberg Restaurant in South Haven, MI, Atterbury Jobs Corps Vocational Culinary School, the Philadelphia Culinary Institute, Bloomington North High School culinary instructor and retiring from the Indiana State Prison in Putnamville Correctional Facility as a vocational culinary teacher.

Eugene was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Franklin, IN where he served as a Catechist instructor, a RCIA instructor, former member of the parish council, instructor for the servers of the church, Knights of Columbus Council 10460 in Franklin, and served as a Eucharist minister.  He was a former president of the Trafalgar Town Council and was known as Mr. Halloween, former member of the VICA Board (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), and teacher of the year at Bloomington North High School.

Survivors include his children Ronda Herrell of Trafalgar, IN, RaeAnn Novak (Dee Georgeson) of Medford, OR, Ronald Eugene Novak (Nila) Madison, IN and Rochelle Sellers (Roy) of Mooresville, IN. He had 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, and a sister Kay Turner (Bill) of Eagle, MI.

He was preceded in death by his mother Dorothy (Gaedeke) Novak, stepfather John Novak and his father Merton Couturier, two brothers Phil Novak and Michael Novak and son-in-law Don Herrell.

Father Tim DeCrane will conduct a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 12 PM Noon at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 114 Lancelot Drive in Franklin, IN.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 from 5PM until 7PM at Swartz Family Community Mortuary and Memorial Center, 300 South U.S. 31 (Morton Street) in Franklin where a time of sharing of memories will take place at 7PM.

Additional visitation will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 11 AM until service time at the church.

Burial will follow the service at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Greenwood, IN.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.swartzmortury.com.  Information 317-738-0202.