Wilma Fay Cavender

Born in Nashville,Tennessee, Wilma Fay Cavender carried a sharp mind and a steady sense of self that guided her through life. As one of the first women to work in corrections at Perryville Prison, she built a decades-long career defined by discipline and resolve, opening doors for the women who followed. Her life at home held equal weight.

A faithful Christian, devoted mother, and grandmother whose presence carried both comfort and conviction, Wilma loved with intention. She raised four children with strength and steadiness.

She is survived by her sister, Mary Ann Willis; her son, Billy Cavender; her niece, Michelle Eades; her grandsons, Justin and Mitch Cavender; and her granddaughters, Grace Cavender and Elaina Yutze.

And somewhere, one suspects… She is home again. A young mother nestled between the husband she has missed since 1991 and the daughter she lost in 2022, exactly where she belongs— her favorite place in the world.

Words will never quite hold what she meant to us, or how deeply she will be missed

A Funeral Service will be held at West Resthaven Funeral Home, 6450 West Northern Ave, Glendale, AZ 8530, on April 30, 2026, at 10:30 am, followed by a Committal Service at Resthaven Park Cemetery, 6450 West Northern Ave, Glendale, AZ 85301, US, on April 30, 2026, at 11:30 am.