Gloria Parks

Gloria Emmons Parks, age 91, of Glendale, Arizona, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016. Gloria left this world peacefully in her beautiful pink apartment at Autumn Wind Assisted Living in Caldwell, Idaho, surrounded by her treasured things.

Gloria was born in Glendale, Arizona, to Guadalupe Maria Navidad Emmons of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, and Manford Marion Emmons, Sr., of Missouri.

The family moved from Glendale to a homestead in the Buckeye area in the late 1920s. Gloria attended school in Palo Verde and Buckeye, graduating Salutatorian of the Class of 1943. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State Teacher's College in 1947.

She was married to Cuethbert Douglas Parks on June 1, 1947. They divorced in 1974.

Gloria taught at Liberty School for one year, started a family and raised eight children, then became a nanny to several families after her own children were grown. She lived in Oregon, California and New Mexico before returning to Glendale at age 70. She enjoyed being retired and able to enjoy participating in senior citizen activities including casino trips, lunches at the Glendale Senior Center, crafts, and especially doll-making. She loved to travel and visited family in many different states of the U.S.A. She was a familiar sight in Glendale as she walked everywhere all dressed in pink clutching her little pink purse. Her favorite places were the Library, Sandy's Dream Dolls, the shops in Historic Glendale and Papa Ed's Ice Cream Parlor.

Gloria was pre-deceased by her parents; her brothers Manford Emmons, Norbert Emmons, Oscar Emmons, Ernest Emmons, Billy Emmons; her sisters Alice Morrow, Olga Parks, Gracie Janson.

She is survived by her sister Esther Papin and brothers Charles Emmons, George Emmons and Delbert Emmons; her children Stephen Parks, Terry Parks, Jeanne Shinoskie , Randall McDevitt-Parks, Timothy Parks, Anthony Parks, Kathleen Hunziker and Joseph Parks; 23 grandchildren; and at last count 46 great-grandchildren.

Visitation service will be held at 9 o'clock a.m. on Saturday, June 25, 2016, at Chapel of the Chimes Mortuary on 59th Avenue in Glendale. Burial will follow at 11:15 am at Resthaven West Cemetery. Remember that Gloria did not believe in wearing black to a funeral. Please dress comfortably for the weather.