Marguerite Gavin

Marguerite M. (Donahue) Gavin, 99, of Port Huron, passed away Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at the Blue Water Hospice Home in Marysville, of natural causes.

Marguerite was born November 18, 1918 in Cullom, IL, and moved with her family to Watertown Township near Sandusky MI in 1920. Following graduation from Sandusky High School in 1937, she moved to Port Huron, where she married Joseph J. Gavin on January 23, 1943. He preceded her in death on June 25, 1979.

Marguerite joined the Michigan Department of Social Services (now DHHS) as a receptionist in 1937. She left the department in 1945 to raise her family, rejoining the department in 1959. She retired as Secretary to the Director in 1985.

Marguerite was a founding member of St. Mary Parish of Port Huron, and was an active parishioner there for the rest of her life. She was also a fitness buff who exercised regularly at the Port Huron Fitness Center for the past 30 years, until illness forced her to give that up earlier this year. Her work ethic and commitment were inspirations for her family and friends and, indeed, for all who knew her. Even more, however, Marguerite was an inspiration for the way she lived her life, for her integrity, her kindness and her deep and abiding faith.

She is survived by four sons, Daniel T. Gavin of Traverse City, Brian P. (Karen) Gavin of Lakeport, Timothy F. Gavin of Glendale AZ and Kevin M. (Allison) Gavin of Savannah GA; her daughter-in-law, Sheila Gavin of Clinton Township; her grandchildren, Shawn (Lisa) Gavin of Ithaca NY, Eric (Jennifer) Gavin of Mt. Clemens, Joseph, (Jennie) Gavin of Grand Rapids, Alana (Matthew) Sheridan of Burlington Ont., Ross (Alyssa) Gavin of Berkley, MI, and Stephen and Shannon Gavin of Savannah GA; her great-grandchildren, Keean, Kyle, Isabella, Noah, Owen and Isaac Gavin and Gavin Sheridan; her brother, Edward J. (Beatrice) Donahue of St. Clair Shores; her brother-in-law, James Howard, of Silverwood MI; her 'adopted' granddaughters, Marly Torres, Elissa and Annika Borovich, Hannah, Olivia and Sophia Reinhard, Ava and Julia Stoneberg, Lauren Cavanaugh and Sidney McClay; many nieces and nephews; and many dear friends.

Marguerite was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph J. Gavin; a daughter, Susan M. Gavin; two sons, Stephen M. Gavin and Michael J. Gavin; her parents, William J. and Jessie M. (Clark) Donahue; three sisters, Mildred Donahue, Patricia Davies and Jean Howard; three brothers, William J. Donahue, Robert C. Donahue and John F. Donahue; and her daughter-in-law, Patricia Gavin.

Visitation will be 2-8 p.m. Friday in the Karrer-Simpson Funeral Home, 1720 Elk Street, Port Huron.

Mrs. Gavin will lie in state at St. Mary Catholic Church, 1505 Ballentine Street, Port Huron, on Saturday, December 9, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. until the Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. The Reverend Zbigniew Zomerfeld will officiate.

Burial will take place at a later date at St. Mary Cemetery, St. Clair.

Memorials may be made to Mid-City Nutrition of Port Huron or the Sanborn-Gratiot Memorial Home in Port Huron.