Florence “Evelyn” Gasdek

Florence “Evelyn” Gasdek went by many names. Her given name was Florence; her friends called her Evelyn; to four wonderful women she was Mom; to her nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren she was Mimi, Ga, Gagi and Grammy. And to her devoted husband of 62 years, she was Pie. But for all of us–whatever we called her–she was our family’s binding force, a gravitational center so strong and so filled with love and grace and warmth.

A lifelong Roman Catholic, Evelyn Gasdek passed away on Nov. 22, 2024, at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House from lung cancer. She was surrounded by family.

Born on Nov. 5, 1939, to Paul Golder and Florence Enigk in Williamsport, Pa., Mimi went on to graduate from Montoursville Area High School in 1957. She became her family’s first college graduate when she graduated from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa. in 1972. Mom found purpose in teaching English as a Second Language classes to immigrant families and then transitioned to a career in higher education. She worked in registrar’s offices for 18 years, first at Kennesaw State University and later as the Assistant Registrar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After retiring to care for her young grandsons, she finished out her professional years working at Kellam, Simpson & Loflin, PLLC.

On Oct. 6, 1962, Evelyn Golder married her soulmate, Peter Gasdek. For 62 years, Pete and Ev — Papa and Ga — Mimi and Pa — showed us all what love looks like. Fueled by patience and grace, always ready to dish out London broil or Texas sheet cake, Pete and Ev’s love for each other powered a familial force that could be felt from Maine to Arizona, from the Carolinas to Alaska.

Their first date–going to the theaters to see “Pocketful of Miracles”–launched their life together. Within 12 months they were married, and they welcomed their first of four daughters the following year. Whether they lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia or the Carolinas, they were always able to make their supper (not dinner) table feel like home. No matter the chaos around them, Pete and Ev and their Sunday suppers were a constant, bringing the family together to share a meal at the beginning of every week.

And as Pete and Ev grew older, their love never wavered. When their last daughter left home for Charleston, S.C., and grandchildren began popping up at the family table, ‘Mom’ became ‘Grammy’, and then ‘Mimi’ and then ‘Gagi.’ Around this time, she and Pa caught the travel bug. After an anniversary trip to the Bahamas in 1996, the couple globetrotted for decades. They visited Paris, Pompeii, Turkey, San Francisco, Florence and Rome. They went on Mediterranean cruises with Uncle Don; they went to Canada and to the Caribbean. Wherever they traveled, they could be found in shops, in cafés, eating good bread and walking for hours on end.

But no matter where she was, Gagi never lost touch with those Pennsylvania roots. She returned home year after year for high school reunions, she visited her brother at his beloved Bear Mountain whenever she could, and cheered on the Steelers with Papa every Sunday. And when she was traveling, Gagi was always certain to leave a little extra room in the suitcase for things to bring back to the ones she loved. When Mimi and Pa came back from a two-week London trip, Gagi brought back jerseys for every single one of her soccer-crazed grandsons.

And here’s the thing about Ga: she could not have cared less about sports. And yet, her presence in the audience at her grandchildren’s games and matches was never in question. She cheered on at Alex’s gymnastics meets and Steven’s soccer matches. She was in the crowd at Charlie’s track meets and Joseph’s football games. She was there for David’s tennis matches and she braved Maine October nights to watch Ben, Abigail and Will play soccer. She trekked up to Brunswick to watch Sam’s Bowdoin football games. A third string punter, he probably had a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than seeing the field, but no matter what, his grandma was in the stands. In Maine’s bitter cold and in the blistering Carolina heat, she was always there. And she didn’t just show up once the games became more palatable as the grandkids got older–nope. She was there for the U6 soccer games and the T-ball seasons. She was there for four-hour dance recitals and for church-league basketball games where half the kids didn’t know they had to dribble.

And the whole time, Papa was right beside her.

And he stayed beside her until her final breath. For the month that Evelyn was in the hospital, Pa was next to her the entire time, arriving first thing in the morning and leaving only once Gagi was ready for bed. He held her hand every day, first in the hospital and then in the hospice house. And when Ev stopped speaking, Pete made sure to say enough “I love you’s” for the both of them.

In those last weeks, Grammy’s magnetic love brought her whole family together one final time. A week before her passing, nearly all her grandchildren and all four of her daughters made the trip up to Maine to be with her. Only Gagi could bring the whole family together like that. It had been years since we’d all seen each other, but as soon as everyone arrived, it was like not a moment had passed. There was definitely no question Mom was happiest when she was with family, but that week when all of us were together, surrounding her in the hospital, there was definitely no question that the family was happiest when we were with her. All those Easter dinners and Sunday suppers culminated in one last show of Evelyn’s unconditional love for us all. The road she paved for all of us just so happened to be a two-way street.

Instead of playing football in the park next to Mimi and Pa’s townhouse, we huddled around Little Joseph’s phone as he showed us pictures of his newborn baby boy. Instead of waiting for Gagi to tell us to come inside and wash up for supper, her daughters and grandkids and in-laws trekked to Panera and McDonalds for broccoli cheddar soup and vanilla milkshakes to make sure Ev had the food she wanted.

Throughout her life, Evelyn taught her family the importance of food, that food is a love language (and also that the amount of butter in a dish directly correlates to how good it is). She nourished her family with cube steak and mashed potatoes, with spaghetti and meatballs, and–of course–with the Thanksgiving turkey. She showed us that a meal without bread is a meal incomplete, and that bread without butter is equally pointless. She taught us that food can be divine and that dessert is a right not a privilege. She imparted her love of Bruce Springsteen and Elvis, of Black Friday shopping and of any kind of flower. She showed us that some of the best afternoons can be spent watching birds with the person you love and that no matter what, family comes first.

She is survived by her husband, Peter; her four daughters, Kara (and Joseph) Zakhia, Patti (and Michael) Manolakis, Elana (and John) Griffing, and Erika (and Jason) Pausman; her eight grandsons, Joseph (and Diamynde) and Alex Zakhia, Charlie, Steven and Will Manolakis, David Griffing, and Sam and Ben Pausman; and her sole granddaughter, Abigail Pausman. Grammy is also survived by her two great-grandchildren, Charbel and Mateo Zakhia; as well as her sisters, Connie Crance and Ann Speaker and their families.

She is preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, Poppy and Grammy Golder; and beloved brother Don Enigk, who undoubtedly welcomed her into Heaven with the biggest bear hug ever.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Cancer Society in Evelyn’s honor.

The family will hold a service to celebrate Evelyn’s life in 2025. We hope this will give the entire family an opportunity to experience the Maine summer that she loved so very much.