Eunice Lee Parry Gleason passed away on December 9, 2021 at age 98 in Houston, Texas. She lived a brilliant life filled with love, curiosity, and gentle energy. Eunice exhibited generosity of time and spirit as well as a fierce loyalty to her family and friends. Born May 18, 1923 in Huntington, West Virginia, Eunice was the only child of Albert Lee Parry and Jettie Mae Herrington Parry. She graduated from Huntington High School and then Marshall University in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Eunice met her future husband, Frank Arthur Gleason, shortly before he went on active duty in the U.S. Army serving in World War II. She served in the war effort in Detroit as a military factory worker. Frank and Eunice married in 1945 in Huntington soon after his return from the war. They moved to Fort Belvoir, Virginia and never looked back, relocating their growing household all across the United States and Europe. Eunice became the consummate military wife and mother, excelling with each new assignment at setting up a home, leading Boy and Girl Scout troops, sponsoring foreign officers and their families, participating in the Officers’ Wives’ Club, and hosting grand parties. Following Frank’s retirement from the military, they spent the next forty years outside Atlanta in Smyrna and Vinings, Cobb County, Georgia, where they made many friends and lived an active life. Eunice was a longtime member of Northside United Methodist Church of Atlanta. She became a successful real estate agent when her children were grown. She was active in the Northside Woman’s Club, serving as president for several years. Eunice had an earnest musical side, singing in church choirs most of her life, playing the piano beautifully, and instilling this love of music in her children. Eunice was a talented and competitive bridge player her whole adult life. Eunice and Frank celebrated 78 years of marriage before his death in 2019. Their eldest son, Paul Albert Gleason, passed away in 2010. Eunice is survived by her three children – Faith Cordray (Chris) of Lexington, Kentucky, Timothy Parry Gleason (Lisa) of Berkeley, California, and Julia Little (Keith) of Houston, Texas – as well as five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A public memorial service will be held for Eunice in Atlanta on Friday, March 4 at 11:00 a.m. at Northside Methodist followed immediately by a private burial service at Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Northside Methodist or Marshall University.
