Celebrating his 50th birthday, Edward, or "Unc" as he was known to his niece and nephews, with mother Mary and his nephews (left to right), Jud, Anthony and Ed.
Unc flashing his signature smile while dancing with niece Mary on her wedding day in October 1999.
Celebrating his 50th birthday, Edward, or "Unc" as he was known to his niece and nephews, with mother Mary and his nephews (left to right), Jud, Anthony and Ed.
Unc flashing his signature smile while dancing with niece Mary on her wedding day in October 1999.

Forward

by Niece Mary &
Nephews Anthony, Jud & Ed

For Unc...

Forward

by Niece Mary &
Nephews Anthony, Jud & Ed

We would like to thank you for your interest in C.h.e.f.s Gift and celebrating the life of Edward Fava. For us most fortunate, he was known as Unc. 

It still doesn’t feel right talking about celebrations without him here, since so many people, friends and family for more than three decades entrusted him with their life’s most special occasions. 

His culinary skills were, of course, what he was best known. He created so many special moments for so many people, but it was his down to earth, warm, welcoming and fun-loving personality that made every party. 

And what a personality he had – so many people who knew him shared a similar sentiment – “from the first time I met him he made me feel so warm and welcome.” And if you were lucky enough to be around him often, that was something he made you feel day in and day out. 

When we think about him, as we often do, there are several themes that come to mind and we’d like to highlight them here. Understanding who Edward was and how he lived helps paint a picture of C.h.e.f.s Gift and the love that spices up each Celebration Guide and Recipe. 

Love of Family

Without a doubt his greatest love was his Love of Family. It was a trait that we were all so fortunate to be blessed by. Nowhere was this more evident than family dinners. Bringing everyone together – sometimes every night of the week – was what filled him with both joy and excitement. And we were truly blessed by his amazing talents every day. 

That’s not to ignore what an awesome experience holiday feasts were – Christmas Eve was his Super Bowl – and every one of us would smile as Unc made sure we all had a favorite dish on the table. He would spare no expense and would wow us with decorations that could make Martha Stewart jealous. He even had hors d’oeuvres flown in from Spain one year. When his sister Albina received the delivery and saw a box post-marked “Spain” she protested, “Edward, what are we doing here?” His response would be a calming, “Eddie’s really gonna like the ham.”

When nephew Jud who lived in China for a while made trips home Unc saw this as motivation to throw a holiday style feast – we all loved a full Thanksgiving dinner in July.

One of the greatest of all was how he created traditions just for us. Our favorite family event of the year with him was no doubt our grandmother’s (his mother’s) birthday when he would spoil us all with a limo ride to New York City for a fancy dinner, Broadway Show, dessert at the Plaza Hotel and then dancing at the Rainbow Room until the early morning. These were truly magical evenings we spent with him in honor of our grandmother and we’ll cherish those memories forever. 

Without a doubt his greatest love was his Love of Family. It was a trait that we were all so fortunate to be blessed by. Nowhere was this more evident than family dinners. Bringing everyone together – sometimes every night of the week – was what filled him with both joy and excitement. And we were truly blessed by his amazing talents every day. 

That’s not to ignore what an awesome experience holiday feasts were – Christmas Eve was his Super Bowl – and every one of us would smile as Unc made sure we all had a favorite dish on the table. He would spare no expense and would wow us with decorations that could make Martha Stewart jealous. He even had hors d’oeuvres flown in from Spain one year. When his sister Albina received the delivery and saw a box post-marked “Spain” she protested, “Edward, what are we doing here?” His response would be a calming, “Eddie’s really gonna like the ham.”

When nephew Jud who lived in China for a while made trips home Unc saw this as motivation to throw a holiday style feast – we all loved a full Thanksgiving dinner in July.

One of the greatest of all was how he created traditions just for us. Our favorite family event of the year with him was no doubt our grandmother’s (his mother’s) birthday when he would spoil us all with a limo ride to New York City for a fancy dinner, Broadway Show, dessert at the Plaza Hotel and then dancing at the Rainbow Room until the early morning. These were truly magical evenings we spent with him in honor of our grandmother and we’ll cherish those memories forever. 

Generosity

The second attribute which so many could attest to was his Generosity. It truly knew no limits. Whether it was his time or his talent, he was always ready to give. Catering was not only his profession but also a means for him to express his love and generosity to the world.

He was so generous with his time and spent much of it playing piano and singing in his church’s choir, teaching Spanish and catering fundraisers for his parish. 

He was often found in the audience at our piano recitals, band and chorus performances. And he was in the stands at far more baseball, basketball and football games – even though we were sure he found the piano recitals and musical performances far more enjoyable. 

Most kids had birthdays – we had birth weeks. Hearing “Happy 2nd day after your birthday” with a wrapped gift and your favorite breakfast on the table was what we came to appreciate. 

His love of birthdays began at an early age. He and his brother would throw big bashes for themselves as kids every year to open and close the summer. The guest lists somehow would go far beyond people that their parents even knew. He continued that tradition by throwing his nephew Jud a Surprise Sweet 16, though we are pretty sure that was so he could never let him forget that he had a Sweet 16. The best part was he threw him a Surprise Super Sweet 17 the next year as well. 

Compassion

Unc had unbelievable Compassion and never stopped caring for others. Family, friends, friends-of-friends and even complete strangers. All are thankful to have had him in their corner at one time or another. His niece and nephews are especially thankful for all he did for us through the years to guide and support us through every step of our lives. And we are sure we aren’t the only ones.


Unc had unbelievable Compassion and never stopped caring for others. Family, friends, friends-of-friends and even complete strangers. All are thankful to have had him in their corner at one time or another. His niece and nephews are especially thankful for all he did for us through the years to guide and support us through every step of our lives. And we are sure we aren’t the only ones.

Sense of Humor

On a lighter note, everyone who ever had the pleasure of being around Unc was able to experience his Sense of Humor. He hid it from no one. It was that special, playful kind of fun that you would undoubtedly find yourself laughing about hours later. And it was always there even from a young age. In kindergarten, he told all of his friends that his mother was 60 years old – she was 38. When she said “Edward, why’d you say that?” His response was simply, “Just think of how good they think you look now!”

He would love the thrill of playing a joke on people, especially his sister Albina. On her high school prom night three separate gentlemen called the house that night asking for her while she was at the prom. Unc answered the phone and quickly disguised his voice to sound like Albina and invited them over. She and her date were quite surprised by the crowd waiting for them when they got home.

Rhythm

Most clients knew Unc as the magician in the kitchen, but they may not have known how much Rhythm he had. His moves often ensured that the staff at most catering jobs were dancing around having just as much fun in the kitchen as the guests were. Gliding around the dance floor at family parties with his mother and sister were some of the happiest moments the three of them shared. 

 

 

 

Most clients knew Unc as the magician in the kitchen, but they may not have known how much Rhythm he had. His moves often ensured that the staff at most catering jobs were dancing around having just as much fun in the kitchen as the guests were. Gliding around the dance floor at family parties with his mother and sister were some of the happiest moments the three of them shared. 

Style

Unc had his own sense of Style. He would always impress upon us the importance of dressing to impress every day, and we all have benefited from this throughout our lives. 

You were never too young to get a style lesson, as his great niece learned at 3 years old when he was overheard telling her, “Emily, the only difference between us and animals is our ability to accessorize!”


Unc had his own sense of Style. He would always impress upon us the importance of dressing to impress every day, and we all have benefited from this throughout our lives. 

You were never too young to get a style lesson, as his great niece learned at 3 years old when he was overheard telling her, “Emily, the only difference between us and animals is our ability to accessorize!”

Memories

Edward with nephews (from left) Jud, Anthony and Ed at Anthony’s wedding in September 2006.

These were just a few of the amazing attributes that were synonymous with C.h.e.f. Edward Fava. Unfortunately, Unc passed away in November 2016 following a long bout with health issues. For those closest to him, no special occasion will ever be the same. 

When we lose someone we love, it’s our memories of that person that help carry us forward. Fortunately for his family, friends and many clients, Unc’s incredible creative and culinary gifts, along with his personality, style and sense of humor have provided us countless and long-lasting memories.  

He used his life’s work – the Catering House of Edward Fava (C.h.e.f.) – to bring joy to the hearts of everyone he touched. And it’s fitting that he would spend his final days working on planning our future special occasions. C.h.e.f.s Gift is Edward’s gift to all of us. It’s how he would have planned our next party together. Sixty Celebration Guides for a year of entertaining, all cultivated with color scheme, signature drink, centerpiece, parting favor and of course – a full menu and step-by-step recipes. 

It’s comforting to know that C.h.e.f.s Gift will allow Edward to continue to do what gave him so much satisfaction in life – create joy and lasting memories in people’s lives. And for the four of us, Unc lives on every day in our hearts and through the special traditions he taught us that we pass on to our children.

Edward with nephews (from left) Jud, Anthony and Ed at Anthony's wedding in September 2006.

These were just a few of the amazing attributes that were synonymous with C.h.e.f. Edward Fava. Unfortunately, Unc passed away in November 2016 following a long bout with health issues. For those closest to him, no special occasion will ever be the same. 

When we lose someone we love, it’s our memories of that person that help carry us forward. Fortunately for his family, friends and many clients, Unc’s incredible creative and culinary gifts, along with his personality, style and sense of humor have provided us countless and long-lasting memories.  

He used his life’s work – the Catering House of Edward Fava (C.h.e.f.) – to bring joy to the hearts of everyone he touched. And it’s fitting that he would spend his final days working on planning our future special occasions. C.h.e.f.s Gift is Edward’s gift to all of us. It’s how he would have planned our next party together. Sixty Celebration Guides for a year of entertaining, all cultivated with color scheme, signature drink, centerpiece, parting favor and of course – a full menu and step-by-step recipes. 

It’s comforting to know that C.h.e.f.s Gift will allow Edward to continue to do what gave him so much satisfaction in life – create joy and lasting memories in people’s lives. And for the four of us, Unc lives on every day in our hearts and through the special traditions he taught us that we pass on to our children.