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October 24, 1929 - June 24, 2019
Gloria Louise Kavadas, 89 years old, of Sidney, B.C., passed away suddenly in her home from natural causes on Monday, June 24th, 2019.
She was born on October 24, 1929 in Worcester, Massachusetts to Victor and Gunhild Ericson. The family was part of a large Swedish-American community and Gloria grew up surrounded by relatives.
She was active in her church and community, especially during the war years when she helped organize fundraisers for the war efforts. She loved writing, cooking, and was a gifted artist. During her time at the University of Boston studying art, she met her future husband, Alexander Kavadas who had emigrated from Greece.
Following their marriage in 1951, they moved to Canada where her husband continued his studies and began his career. They settled in Saskatoon where she was active in the community doing various volunteer jobs, raising their children, and writing in her spare time. The primary focus of her life during those years was her family.
In 1978, following Alex's retirement, Gloria and Alex moved to Lasqueti Island,B.C. where they built their own home and lived a simple, 'off-the-grid' life until Alex became ill in 1996 which precipitated their move to Victoria. After Alex's death in 1997, Gloria dove back into writing and visual arts, often gifting friends and family with her works. She was active in Al-Anon, St. Paul's United Church, and was a generous donor to many local and outside charities.
She leaves behind 4 children: Kristin Hill (Geoffrey), Richard Kavadas (Danielle), Diana Cronin (Kevin), and Andrew Kavadas (Heather, previously deceased). She also leaves behind 11 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 20th at 2 pm at St. Paul's United Church, 2410 Malaview Avenue, Sidney.