Gwendolyn F Mccamish

Gwendolyn Faye (Wester) McCamish died peacefully, surrounded by family, on July 28, 2023 at her
home in Darien, Georgia. Gwen was born on July 23, 1942 in Savannah, Georgia, the second child of the
late Lamar and Dorothy Wester. Raised in Pembroke, she graduated from Odum High School where she
was captain of the cheerleading squad and deemed universally by her classmates “the sweetest girl
ever.”
After working for Southern Bell as a long-distance telephone operator, she and one of her best friends
went on an adventure in 1962 to live on the beach in Galveston, Texas. She returned to Georgia in 1965.
A blind date set her up with the love of her life, an Army helicopter pilot fresh from Vietnam. She
married John Richard McCamish on November 23, 1968 in Savannah, Georgia at the home of her
beloved grandmother, Virgie Mims. Following their adventurous spirits and the opportunities to fly, they
made their way to Seattle in 1969 and then north to Alaska in 1972 where they lived for 33 years. This
southern girl learned to pump jet fuel and drive in the ice and snow all while raising three children.
While in Valdez she founded the local PTA and championed the gifted student programs. She was a
member of the Republican party and a dedicated committeewoman. After moving to Anchorage in
1981, she was a directory assistance operator with the Anchorage Telephone Utility from 1984 until her
retirement in 2000. She was even a pioneer of remote work back in 1993!
After retirement, she and John road-tripped down the Alaska Highway and returned to Georgia where
she could be close to family and friends. She always considered her greatest accomplishment to be her
children.
Gwen is survived by her husband John, children Chris McCamish of Merritt Island, Florida; Jeff McCamish
of Medford, Oregon; and Amy McCamish Eckhoff and her husband Shannon Eckhoff of Kansas City,
Missouri. She was preceded in death by her sisters Jacquelyn, Marilyn and Carolyn. She is survived by
her brother Darrell Wester (Pam) of Thomson, Georgia, her sister Jan Wester Webber (Danny) of Lyons,
Georgia and a large extended family.
She will be interred at Hillcrest Abbey in Savannah, Georgia. A celebration will be held at her home in
Darien. Her family extends their gratitude for the compassionate care provided by Hospice of the
Golden Isles. Please consider donations to support their critical work at https://hospice.me/general-
donation/ .Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced at a later date