Feona (Kheona) Joan Sawden

April 22, 1939 – May 26, 2019

Feona (Kheona) Joan Sawden, age 80, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2019 at her home in Port Graham, Alaska.

She was born on April 22, 1939 in Port Graham, Alaska to Larry and Polly Meganack.

A visitation was held at 11 a.m. on May 31, 2019, at St. Herman of Alaska, and funeral services were at noon on June 1, 2019, in Port Graham, Alaska.

Feona worked as an Alaska Native Medical Center orthopedic nurses aide from 1966-1969, was a bilingual teacher with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District for Port Graham Elementary and High School, was secretary at Chugach Native, Inc. from 1978-1979, was on the Chugach Alaska Corporation Board of Directors from 1978-1985, and was a health aide from 1991 until retirement.

She was very involved with her family, culture, language, traditional preservation and community. She was a church reader, elder representative, Alaska Federation of Natives escort for students, and a Sugpiaq language translator for publications and teaching. Feona loved to crochet, visit elders, subsistence gather and share the Sugcestun language. Her career and professions showed her continuous support of her village, region and state. It was important to her to preserve, protect and document the Aluutiq/Sugpiaq language, health and education.

Feona is preceded in death by her parents, Larry and Polly Meganack; sister, Vera Moonin; and daughter, Shurina Wilkins.

She is survived by her husband, Thomas H. Sawden Sr. of Port Graham; daughters, Jacqueline Jager of Kasilof, Roxanne Jager of Wasilla, Christalina Jager of Port Graham, Angelina Roehl of Anchorage and Anesia Sawden of Anchorage; son, Thomas H. Sawden Jr. of Anchorage; and sister, Fedora Hedrick of Homer, Alaska; as well as a several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.