Daily Sitka Sentinel

Tony Guevin Dies at 69

Tony Guevin

Anthony “Tony” Guevin passed away peacefully on Valentine’s Day, surrounded by love from his family and friends. He was 69.
Tony loved the things he loved. His enthusiasm for sports, politics, nature, and treats was infectious, and he shared these traits and passions with his family. He always rooted for the underdog, in sports and in life.
Tony was a complex person. At once shy and reserved, he was also loud and charming with a wonderful sense of humor. He was a teacher at heart, and an astute observer with keen emotional intelligence. This showed in the poems he wrote and shared with family and friends.
He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, communing with his cats, writing poetry, exploring nature on hikes or out the window, reading international mysteries and history books, and watching every game of his beloved Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, and New York Giants. He enjoyed watching old British mysteries with his wife Cindy, and weeping through episodes of “Call the Midwife.”
Tony was born on June 1, 1949, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Edith and James Guevin. After graduating from Holyoke Community College, he moved west to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. He was the first and only member of his family to attend college.
After graduating from Arizona he returned to Massachusetts and worked as a park ranger at Erving State Forest. It was during this time he met Cindy Litman, a student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, through a mutual friend. They married on March 29, 1975. This began 44 years of wedded bliss with four children and a lot of pets.
Son Tristan James Guevin was born in 1979, Toby Marshall followed in 1982, Ethan Anthony Graham in 1986, and Rhiannon Elisabeth in 1990.
The young family moved to Davis, California, in 1980. Tony taught physical education and adapted PE at North Davis Elementary and Emerson Junior High School, and coached the Davis High School varsity baseball team. He was a beloved teacher and coach.
During a visit in 2003, Tony and Cindy fell in love with Sitka’s beauty and community. After spending summers here for several years, they moved to Sitka permanently in 2008.
Tony was diagnosed with atypical Parkinson’s disease in February of 2013. He never complained about his illness.
Tony is survived by his wife, Cindy Litman; son Tristan Guevin and daughter-in-law Lauren Havens; son Toby Guevin, daughter-in-law Kirsten Dees, and grandchildren, Milo Anthony and Beckett; son Ethan Anthony Guevin, daughter-in-law Rachel Heidt, and grandchild Riley; daughter Rhiannon; and kitties Pippa and Lucia.
In addition to his wife, children, and grandchildren, Tony will be missed by brother- and sister-in-law Michael and Susan Litman of Sitka.
His family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, CNAs, staff and home health department at Sitka Community Hospital for the tremendous care he received in his final months and days, and the many community members who supported the family during and after his illness. He loved Sitka.
No public services are planned. Donations can be made in Tony’s honor to Keep Playing Baseball (www.keepplayingbaseball.org) or the Greater Sitka Legacy Fund (www.greatersitkalegacyfund.org).

“I woke to a bright sunny day
To my surprise the moon was still up
Half his face was in a blanket of shade
He shone brightly on his better half
Not ready to go to bed
It must have been a good night”
- Tony Guevin, 2014