Gloria June Ensley

I’ve been lucky all of my life. I was born July 2, 1941to two from The Greatest Generation, Roberta and Woodrow Gaba. Then along came two annoying, little kids, who turned out to be two of my best friends: my sister Nancy and my brother Greg.

We grew up in Marshall, MO during a life-changing time: World War II mercifully ended, school segregation stopped, and rock-and-roll began. I lucked into some lovely high school honors: Class of ’59 Fair Marshal, student body and class officers, Basketball Queen, co-valedictorian. I graduated from William Jewell College with a B.A. in political science and was fortunate my junior year to be president of the first and finest sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, and was senior class secretary.

Along the way, I fell into a coach’s daughter’s dream job: secretary to the Sports/Public Affairs Department at KCMO Radio-TV (now KCTV 5), where my bosses were Bruce Rice, Harold Ensley, Jim Monroe and the Kansas City A’s broadcasters.

And then I really hit the jackpot: I married the sunshine of my life, Dusty Ensley. He taught me how to fish, and after casting practice plugs in every tree in Jackson County, I finally got the hang of it. The night we got married I caught a large mouth bass on the Lake of the Ozarks’ Soap Creek.

When my father-in-law left Channel 5 to syndicate his outdoor TV show, “The Sportsman’s Friend,” nationwide, I became his Girl Friday for the next 40 years. During that time, I got to tag along on many trips-of-a-lifetime. Snow skiing and novel hunting and riding horseback to the Colorado high country were new to me, and ill novel forget the two trips Dusty and I made to Canada’s Great Slave Lake to film lake trout and grayling fishing, not to mention when we went with Harold and his wife Bonnie to Great Bear Lake and across the Arctic Circle to fish for Arctic char.

But the trip that meant the most to us: for 32 years, we went to Parismina, Costa Rica to fish for tarpon, snook, and guapote. This jungle village became like our second home, and the familia Perez Garcia, along with our amigos, Mili and Bull, became one hot-hot-hot FAMILY!

Another group of friends who became like family: for 34 years, Dusty and I played co-ed volleyball every Tuesday night. Luckily, I survived couple of health hiccups—thanks to a lot of prayers, Dusty’s 24/7 devotion, and Carondelet Cardiology—but I had to give up volleyball. I never stopped missing it.

From 1984-2012, I kept the books for BCE Marketing, Dusty and his three partners’ manufacturers’ rep group. I was proud of their success and loved their mighty fine Christmas parties.

I have been predeceased by these dear ones: my mom and dad, Bobby and Woody Gaba; my grandparents, Sara and Allen B. Soper, Sr. and Gertrude and George Gaba; my sister Kathryn Sue Gaba, my nephew Dustin Gaba; my in-laws, Oba Ensley, Harold and Bonnie Ensley; my sister-in-law Dodie Ensley, and my “adopted” grandparents, Mattie and Joe Tennyson.

I left behind; the other half of me, my husband Dusty, my sister Nancy Gaba, my brother Greg Gaba (Charlotte), my brother-in-law Smokey Ensley, my sister-in-law Sandy Trotter (Jim), our beloved nephews and nieces, our absolutely perfect great-nieces and great-nephews, and a boatful of forever friends—the oldest and dearest Beth Yorke.

I have asked to be cremated with my ashes to be scattered over 5 places where I’ve already left part of my heart. No formal services, but you’d like to come by and hug my family, they’ll gather at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64131, from 6:00-8:00PM on Friday, March 6, 2015. In lieu of flowers and to honor the nine dogs we’ve loved, please consider helping Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Rd, Kansas City, MO 64137.

I’ve had a wonderful life. 98.5% of the 42 years Dusty and I were married, we spent smiling. For him and all of my blessings, I thank my lucky stars.

Gloria passed away Tuesday, March 2, 2015.