Edward Patrick Gavigan's Obituary
Edward Patrick Gavigan was born on August 1, 1946, in Brookline, Massachusetts to William John Gavigan and Margaret Katherine Hickey Gavigan. He was their youngest child and he had 2 older sisters: Anne Gavigan and Kathleen Gavigan (William Dixon). When he was five years old, the Gavigan family moved to Pennsylvania and eventually settled in Media, Pennsylvania.
Eddie graduated from Devon Preparatory High School in 1964 and went on to St Joseph's University, where he was an English major and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1968. In July, after his graduation, Eddie enlisted in the Navy. During his 4-year tour of duty, Ed sailed around the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas as well as visited various countries, including Morocco, Italy, and Cuba. In 1981, Ed received his Masters of Education in counseling from the University of Maryland.
On December 19th, 1971, while out getting pizza in Alexandria, Virginia, with his roommate, he sat next to Marie Manuele and one of her friends. Impressed by her charm (i.e., ability to chug beer), they eventually started dating. Five years later, they married on September 4th, 1976.
In October, 1972, two months after Ed had left the Navy, he started working at the Veterans Administration as a benefits counselor. It was during this first job at the VA that Ed met many of his co-workers who became his life-long friends. After several years as a benefits counselor, Ed moved on to vocational rehabilitation and counseling working with many disabled veterans. This is where Ed’s true talents and his love of others became so readily apparent. Many times he would take that extra step, far and beyond what his job required, to help a disabled veteran. This included spending time with some of these veterans after working hours and on weekends.
Eddie loved counseling veterans and working at the VA. At one point, his job took him all over the USA to survey other departments. One survey, in 1988, brought him to Honolulu, which he loved and in 1994, he moved to Hawaii with his family to live and work. In the Honolulu VA office, Ed took on the position as the Vocational Rehabilitation & Counseling Division Manager, where he continued his work with disabled veterans. Eddie retired in December 2010 and was able to spend his time golfing, watching the Eagles, Phillies, 76ers and more golf, walking with Bella, enjoying the craic with friends, walking as St Patrick in the Honolulu parade, and traveling.
Eddie and Marie had 2 children: Margaret "Meggie" and William Brian Gavigan. Five years ago, Ed got a third “child,” Brian’s dog, Bella.
In 2008, Ed was diagnosed with MDS, a rare blood disorder, and in 2012, underwent several rounds of chemotherapy to mitigate this life-threatening condition. While the chemotherapy was successful for Ed, the only cure was a bone marrow transplant. Luckily, Ed was able to find a match for a bone marrow transplant, which he received at City of Hope outside of Los Angeles in December 2012. The transplant was a success; Eddie recovered well and came home three months after the transplant.
Eddie enjoyed talking sports and watching sports on TV with his son, and in March, 2016, he proudly emceed his daughter's wedding to Louis "Kainoa" Castro, Jr. Sadly, later in the year, the same transplant that had given Eddie new life began to attack him causing his liver to become damaged. In October, Ed made a trip to the East Coast to visit with his sisters and his DC and Philadelphia friends. However, by November, 2016, his damaged liver began to fail causing Ed to become sicker by the week and requiring several hospitalizations. On February 2, 2017, he underwent a procedure intended to provide a temporary “fix” for his liver and to give him a few more months, hopefully to be able to see his first grandchild who will enter this world around April 30, 2017. However, due to complications from the procedure, Ed not only did not get the temporary “fix” and more time, but rather his life was cut short. Eddie fought hard to live, and although his will to live was incredibly strong, his diseased body was simply too sick to allow his will to prevail. Eddie passed away in his home and in the arms of his loved ones on March 3rd, 2017.
Ed was a kind, caring, and compassionate person who spend his life dedicated to helping others, and was generous in so many ways. Ed was never one to talk badly of others, and when confronted with those situations, rather than join in, he would simply say “We are all God’s little children.” At the same time, he was a master trouble-maker and prided himself on his abilities to cause trouble. He had a great sense of humor and was always able to make people laugh. His personality, wit and endless humor are irreplaceable. We will miss him terribly.
What’s your fondest memory of Edward?
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Share a story where Edward's kindness touched your heart.
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