QuickTake:

Friends and employees remember him for his generosity and compassion. McComas owned the south Eugene shop for 40 years before transferring it to a perpetual purpose stewardship trust in 2023, ensuring Sundance would continue in the community.

Gavin McComas is remembered for his generosity.

The longtime owner of Sundance Natural Foods in south Eugene cared deeply about his community, fought for causes he was passionate about, and always made sure the people around him had a cup of tea.

Gavin McComas Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Natural Foods

“He was wonderful,” said Melissa Brown, who owns The Kiva Grocery with her husband, George. “And you know, when you were in his company, he would serve your tea and you would never get the chance to see the bottom of your glass. He was just very generous and funny.”

McComas died Nov. 25 at the age of 79. Sundance announced McComas’ passing on its social media accounts last week. A laminated note at each of the store’s checkout counters had the same message.

“His unique combination of compassion, intelligence and service was his great gift to our community,” the note read.

The message highlighted the values that were most important to McComas: doing to all as we would be done by; striving to be a warm, comfortable place to shop and connect; treating each other with love and respect, and feeling good by working for the greater good, the note read, in part.

Sundance Natural Foods on 24th Avenue between Hilyard and Alder streets was founded in 1971. McComas took over the business in 1983.

“He gave everything to the store,” said Tara Aprin, who has worked at Sundance for 21 years. “It was his chosen family. He truly loved and cared about everyone that worked here. He had just a huge heart.”

Sundance Perpetual Purpose Stewardship Trust

McComas was born in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Berkeley, said David ResSeguie, who has worked at Sundance since 1985. McComas completed degrees in English and philosophy at the University of California, Davis, before moving to Eugene to study comparative literature at the University of Oregon.

“He was always very interested in literature and psychology,” ResSeguie said. “He was extremely enamored of Jungian psychology, and even while he was the owner of Sundance, still spent a lot of time reading books and studying that sort of thing.”

During his time at UO, McComas discovered a student-run natural food co-op, which got him interested in natural foods and led him to Sundance. ResSeguie said McComas wanted Sundance to remain a traditional natural food store dedicated to whole grains and organic and minimally processed foods. McComas was vegan for many years, which is reflected at Sundance, which sells few animal products.

In 2023, McComas donated his ownership of the store to the Sundance Perpetual Purpose Stewardship Trust, preventing the store from being sold and ensuring Sundance and its purpose would continue.

A trust committee made up of current and former employees oversees the store, as well as Sundance Wine Cellars and Sundance Kitchen, making sure Sundance fulfills its mission and values. McComas served as general manager.

“He’s done such a good job of tending to and taking care of the future for our store, and it’s all he wanted, was the store to continue in basically the same capacity it has always been,” Aprin said. “I think it just felt really good knowing he cared enough to do that for us.”

Sundance Natural Foods pictured in November 2025. McComas owned the south Eugene grocery store for 40 years. Credit: Lillian Schrock-Clevenger / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

‘One in a million’

Brown, the Kiva owner, and her husband worked with McComas on civic issues, including trying to save Civic Stadium and opposing a city-backed parking structure for Whole Foods.

“Then George ended up running for the city council, and Gavin was here, standing behind him when he announced his candidacy,” Brown said.

They also worked with McComas as part of Unique Eugene, an alliance of independent local businesses.

Bo Wiedenfeld-Needham first met McComas 20 years ago when he started working at Sundance Wine Cellars. He said he immediately realized McComas was not an ordinary person. He was “one in a million.”

“He was just the person who could bring people together, people from very different backgrounds, and everybody there felt loved,” Wiedenfeld-Needham said.

He said McComas thought of others before thinking of himself. This was embodied in how he took care of his staff and customers at Sundance.

“Every day he would come around everywhere, and it doesn’t matter if you were the (general manager) or if you were breaking down cardboard or a stock boy or whatever, he would pour you some amazing tea and always had a kind word for you,” Wiedenfeld-Needham said.

Wiedenfeld-Needham said McComas also wanted to make sure that students at Roosevelt Middle School, a block away, could eat from the salad bar and hot bar at a reasonable price. McComas would give parents “Sundance Dollars” for their kids to use.

Wiedenfeld-Needham worked with McComas to expand Sundance Wine Cellars. He said Sundance Wine Cellars has more Oregon wines than any other place in the state, making the shop well-respected in the region.

Several years after departing Sundance, Wiedenfeld-Needham opened his own wine shop, Bo’s Wine Depot, on 40th Avenue. McComas welcomed him.

“Rather than saying, ‘Oh, grumble, there’s a new competitor,’ he’s the first one through the door with the plant wishing me well,” Wiedenfeld-Needham said. “That was the kind of person he was.”