Gloria M. Tofias

Gloria Tofias was born on May 15, 1929, as Gloria M. Helfant, the youngest child of five and the only daughter of Bertha and Barnett Helfant, hard-working immigrants who owned a small grocery store in Dorchester. Gloria was a bright and popular child, with a strong and determined nature and a gifted ability to connect with people. Her youngest brother Eli, 13 years older than Gloria, taught her how to read at age 4, and throughout her life she always had a book by her side. Gloria excelled in the honors track program at Dorchester High for Girls, however her modest family circumstances meant that college was out of the question. She proudly attended Newton Junior College and Wellesley College many decades later. After a brief career as a medical technician, in 1950 Gloria met and married Bernard Dwork, an attorney, and they raised 3 children together in Newton, David, Bob and Jamie. The decades were filled with hard work but many joys including summers in their Cape summer home, sailing, and a home filled with many pets and friends. Gloria was a gifted cook and loved to entertain.

After her first marriage ended, Gloria demonstrated her typical strength and resiliency, facing and beating cancer twice.

Gloria found her second chance at love with Arnold B. Tofias, who she married in 1982. Together they delighted in creating a combined and expanded family including Gloria’s 3 children, David Dwork and his partner Amy Lee, Robert Dwork and his partner Carol Leonesio, and Jamie Dwork Pierce and her husband Howard Pierce, and Arnold’s four children Donald Tofias, Bruce Tofias and his spouse Deborah Tofias, Elise Phillips and her husband Russell Phillips, and Lauren Tofias. They also rejoiced in Arnold and Gloria’s 14 grandchildren, Jennifer, Justin, Alex, Josh, Casey, Zachary, Levi, Shaina, Zeke, Jeremy, Adam, Michael, Alissa and Liza, and their respective partners and 10 great-grandchildren. Gloria’s greatest joy was their large and always expanding family and loved visits from all the little ones and took great satisfaction in having everyone around her for holiday family dinners and delicious meals. Arnold and Gloria also found great satisfaction in their time together alone or with friends and in travel, dining, theatre, symphony and enjoyed trips to nearly every continent. St. Barths had a special draw for them, and they returned repeatedly. Gloria was well known for her strong and optimistic spirit, superior intellect, engaging personality, skills as a hostess, and strong connections with friends and family. Arnold and Gloria had a mutually supportive relationship reveling in each other’s company. Their love and companionship continued to the very end. Even when both were compromised with their respective infirmities in the last years of their lives, the mere presence of each other mattered and defined their daily existence. Gloria died peacefully and after a mercifully brief illness, as did Arnold, and it is fitting that, as in life, their passings’ were a tandem event. Gloria shall be greatly missed as the vibrant individual she was and as half of the inseparable couple of Arnold and Gloria.

Services in the Chapel at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon on Thursday, February 6 at 10:00am. Following the burial, a reception will take place at a location to be announced at the service.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to a charity of your choice.