Gloria was born on January 2, 1936, in Childress, Texas, and grew up during the Great Depression on a small farm, learning early the value of hard work and gratitude for what she had.
She began her career as a substitute teacher, filling in for her own daughter's class, and found she loved it so much that she went on to earn her teaching certificate. She spent years teaching at Ridgecrest Elementary in Amarillo, where she was beloved by generations of students — many of whom, decades later, would still recognize her by name and tell her she'd been their favorite teacher. Later, she returned to school once more to earn her counseling degree, and spent the rest of her career serving families across the Texas Panhandle through early childhood intervention, working with young children with disabilities and the families who loved them.
Gloria's heart for others didn't end when she left work each day. For decades, she gave generously to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, sponsored tree angels each Christmas, donated to coat and back-to-school drives for children in need, and donated regularly to Faith City Mission. She found deep spiritual community through Al-Anon, where she both attended and later sponsored others, and she wrote in a prayer journal nearly every day of her adult life, faithfully praying by name for everyone who asked.
Outside of her giving, Gloria loved playing bridge and poker with her friends at the Senior Citizen Center and trips to the casino with her girlfriends.
Gloria is survived by her grandson, Ian Kelly, and his wife, Kristen Kelly; great-grandchildren Evan Leppard, Annelise Fuller, Emma Morales, and Kaia Kelly; her granddaughter, Jessica Kolas; and great-grandson, Riker Kolas.
