EVELYN DEAN GAUZENS's Obituary
Gauzens, Evelyn (nee Phelps)
86, of Miami and Dunedin, FL passed away Jan. 31, 2016. Beloved Mother and Grandmother, devout Catholic, avid Amateur Radio operator (W4WYR) and life-long University of Miami football fan. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 36 years, Carl. Evelyn was born in Miami and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1947 before marrying Carl in 1948. Evelyn vacationed in all of the 48 contiguous United States, Canada and Mexico and had a special love for Ft. Myers Beach, FL. In the 1950’s, she worked for James Knight, the Miami Herald’s first business manager, and ultimately retired as a Realtor. In the intervening 34 years between those two jobs she was a homemaker and devoted mother who raised four very active children. She was an avid volunteer in her church as Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Cantor. In Amateur (Ham) Radio she provided vital hurricane relief communication in Florida and the Caribbean, was the first woman Board member and Honorary Vice President of the national organization - the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Officer with the Dade Radio Club of Miami and the Flamingo Net, co-founder and 45 year Chairperson of the annual Tropical Hamboree convention, and was active with the National Hurricane Center and many other local and state Ham organizations. Whatever role she played, Evelyn was resolute in her quest for organizing the function. Armed only with a telephone, pen and paper, she contacted people far and wide in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America to manage events like the Tropical Hamboree. In 2008, Evelyn moved to Mease Manor in Dunedin. Evelyn is survived by her 4 children, Paul (Joanne) of Lawrenceville, GA, John of Miami Springs, Alan (Joanne) of Dunedin, and Carey of Alexandria, VA; 10 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren; and brother Art (Alice) Phelps of San Marcos, CA.
A funeral mass will be held Tuesday, February 9th at 10 am at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Miami with burial following at Woodlawn North cemetery. The family will receive visitors Monday, February 8th, 5 – 9 pm at Van Orsdel Funeral Home, Coral Gables, with Holy Rosary at 8 pm. In Lieu of Flowers, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Michael’s Church, or to the ARRL Scholarship Fund.
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