Edward Gordon McGavin, 71
Edward Gordon McGavin born in Inverness, the Highlands of Scotland, Jan. 28, 1939, after a long and courageous battle with cancer, passed into Heaven July 9, 2010.
Hi training in machining/tool and dye making brought him to North America where he joined his older brother in Toronto, Canada, and worked for Steel Company of Canada for a few years.
Aerospace companies in California were advertising for people to interview with his background. He was hired and relocated to Southern California where he worked for (then) Briles Mfg., in El Segundo, which became Omark Industries. After Omark Ind. sold the company, he went to Voi-Shan Redondo Beach, where stayed for the next 18 years. He became an American citizen in the year of our bi-centennial in 1976. He attended UCLA and Andrew Carnegie seminars in San Diego.
The opportunity to move into a new position with Kaynar Fasteners in Fullerton, Orange County, presented itself and he was there until Fairchild Fasteners bought Kaynar where he remained until taking early retirement and moving to the Northwest to Coeur d’Alene.
He loved soccer and was a coach for several years for boy’s teams in AYSO. He coached both his boys on winning teams. He formed an all-star team of older boys called the “Hollywood Stars” who played for area championship, before the end of the season. It was North Redondo against South Redondo. One of the kids on his team was Ziggy Schmidt who is now coach for a professional soccer team. He also played on a men’s team that once played in the LA Coliseum.
He was very active at Calvary Presbyterian in California where he was an elder for many years. He chaired the personnel committee and formed a committee for church maintenance. He met with them every other Saturday to take care of keeping the church in good order. Once a month he and the members would meet at a restaurant for breakfast before going back to church to work. He liked people and was well liked in return. He and his wife loved to explore new areas from going on cruises to different places in the Caribbean and Mexico.
His wife, Elizabeth McGavin; three children, Valerie Contreras, Kevin McGavin and Alan McGavin, survives him. Also his brother, Peter McGavin in Canada; two sisters Margaret (Rena) McGavin of Nairn and Rosemarie and Barry Auld of Mull in Scotland; a niece and nephews in California and Pennsylvania.
There will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church, Lakeside Avenue in Coeur d’Alene with a reception following the service at the church. English Funeral Chapel, Coeur d’Alene, is in care of the arrangements.