Donald Anton Fava
In the early hours of Dec. 1, 2023, Donald Anton Fava, 91, a native of Butte, Mont., walked through the gates of heaven and announced his arrival to all assembled with his trademark greeting, “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
He was born in the mining community of Meaderville to Ralph Salvatore “Toots” Fava, a butcher at Meaderville Market, and Mary Catherine Fava nee Tamietti. He was welcomed by sister Mary Lou Ivanich nee Fava (Rudy), who adored her baby brother, and multiple Italian grandmothers and aunts, all of whom spoiled him rotten and taught him how to cook. After losing his mother when he was only a year old, he and his sister were raised by their maternal Aunt Dominica “Minnie” Pogliano nee Tamietti, and Uncle Antone Pogliano in McQueen Addition.
Following his graduation from Butte High School in 1949, he enlisted in the United States Navy serving on the USS Hornet (CV-12) as a yeoman in the admiral’s clerical pool for four years during the Korean War. Following his Naval service, he moved to San Francisco, where he worked for Standard Oil. In 1958, the love of his life, a petite blonde nurse named Jackie, walked into a San Francisco coffee shop and in that moment, the rest of his life officially began.
Don and Jackie married on Oct. 4, 1958, at the Mission of San Rafael the Archangel and remained so for 53 years until her sudden death in 2011. They had two daughters, Tammie Nolette Fava Oldmixon (Nathan), and Patricia “Pattye” Fava Meagher (Thomas).
Throughout their life, the family lived in San Raphael, and Los Angeles, Calif., but ultimately settled in Monticello, Miss., to be near Jackie’s family. Don and Jackie were both well known in the community through their work at Lawrence County Hospital, where she was a nurse and he the controller, and at Monticello Baptist Church, where they remained active, even after Don returned to full communion in the Roman Catholic Church. Their mutual love of entertaining and Don’s flair for cooking meant every day was a reason to celebrate but never more than during the holidays when their doors were always open and ready to welcome guests to celebrate the season. While Don’s yearly quest for first prize in the holiday home décor contest never came to fruition, he tackled the task each Christmas season with gusto, new design schemes, and enough tinsel and extension cords to light the State Capitol. Truly the life of the party, he never missed an opportunity to tell a funny story, usually about himself, and was even known to break out the accordion he learned to play as a child – even though he only ever learned one song.
Following Jackie’s death, Don moved to Ocean Springs to be close to his greatest treasure – grandchildren Elijah and Zoe Oldmixon. He embraced his new life in Coastal Mississippi, becoming a volunteer docent at the renowned Walter Anderson Museum of Art, where he was named the Edsel & Mary Ruddiman Volunteer of the Year in 2016. Don’s true superpower was bringing people together and making them feel appreciated, so during this time he also organized lunch outings for senior volunteers at new restaurants across the Coast and hosted a weekly cocktail hour for friends and neighbors at the Station Apartments until the Covid 19 Pandemic.
Don never met a stranger. All were welcome where he was concerned and would be greeted at the door with, “I’m glad you’re here. Don’t I look good?”
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, aunts and uncles, and his beloved Jackie, with whom he is now dancing with in heaven.
He is survived by both of their daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren, none of whom will ever be the same without him. Don taught us how to love, how to live, how to grieve, and above all else to find a reason to smile and be happy every day, even if the only thing you did was get out of bed to watch the “Golden Girls.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 16, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 4135 Highway 42, Bassfield, MS, and followed by a short graveside service at 12:30 p.m.at Monticello Baptist Church Cemetery, 3089 Highway 27 South, Monticello. His family hopes that you will remember him in your prayers and consider donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society to help them in their mission to provide services to people in need.
