Fay Eleanor Gavin

Fay Eleanor Gavin passed on Dec. 2, 2019, after a short illness. Fay was born Dec. 13, 1947, in Saginaw, Mich. Fay and her two daughters, Susan and Sandy, left Michigan and after a few years in Ohio and California, drove up the Alcan in 1975 and quickly made Alaska home. Fay worked in food service at several Anchorage restaurants including Hotel Captain Cook, Club Paris, Peggy's Restaurant and other union establishments including 30 years at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel. Fay became an activist for Local 878 Unite HERE, where she held the positions of business agent in the Anchorage, Kenai and Soldotna areas, Vice President, Executive Board member and Trustee on the Union's Pension and Health and Welfare Trusts. Fay was instrumental in a 10-year hard-fought battle with the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel over back wages, lost jobs, unfair working conditions and members working without a negotiated contract. Fay was undoubtedly an Alaskan at heart and especially enjoyed spending summers at her cabin on the Kenai River fishing, smoking salmon, making memories and lifelong friendships. Fay is survived by daughters, Susan Ann Call (Richard) and Sandra Ann Reid; sisters, Evelyn Wigle (Earl), Shirley Wilson, Sharon Haulk (Wilson) and Norma Jean Laitinen; and brother, Norman Miller; granddaughters, Heather, Madison, Jordan, Christine, Zoey and Kali. Fay would like to thank the many family members and friends who held everything together in order to make her last few months of life comfortable. She would also like to thank Providence Palliative Care and Providence Hospice. No memorial service will be held, at Fay's request. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Alaska SPCA and Friends of Pets.