Evlyn "Pat" Patrick Mertig

Evlyn “Pat” Patrick Mertig, 79, of Eclipse, Virginia, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026, surrounded by her sons and daughter-in-law. She was reunited with her beloved husband, Charles, after 46 years of marriage.

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Pat was the daughter of John Davis Hardy and Ann Eliza Cock. She grew up on the banks of Sunset Creek, where she spent her summers swimming, fishing, and crabbing, and roaming the nearby fields and woods. Many of her happiest childhood days were spent at Ivy Home, the residence of her grandparents, Frederick D. Cock and Evlyn Balmer Cock. A graduate of Hampton High School, she began her career at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, where she met Charles Edward Mertig. After their marriage, the couple settled in Eclipse, Virginia, and raised their two sons, John Michael “Michael” Mertig and Karl Edward Mertig. Once her boys were grown, Pat returned to the workforce and enjoyed a long and rewarding career with Nabisco Inc., Superior Marine Inc., and Collins Machine Works, Inc.

Pat will be remembered for her strong, caring, witty, and warm spirit. She loved her family deeply and brought humor and kindness to everyone around her. From her earliest days to her last, she remained attentive to the comfort and well-being of those she cared for.

She is survived by her sons, Michael Mertig and Karl Mertig (Stephanie); her cherished grandchildren, Carter Patrick Mertig and Delaney Grace Mertig; her brother, John Davis Hardy Jr. (Donna) of Carmel Valley, California; and her nieces Kelley Weirling (Mario) of Richmond, Virginia; Karen Finarelli (John) of Dublin, Ireland; Sharon Hardy of Glen Gardner, New Jersey; Katherine Lynch (Spencer) of Fairfield, Connecticut; and Joanna Erickson (Taylor) of Van Nuys, California, along with many beloved grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, and her brother, Fred Hardy of Fairfax, Virginia.