Gloria Perkins Stovall, 88, of Greenville, died at home and went to be with her Heavenly Father Jesus on April 9, 2019. She was born on April 14, 1930 in Atlanta, GA to the late John Temple and Vera Harris Perkins.
Gloria was the loving wife and best friend of husband James “Jim” Hunt Stovall. They celebrated 62 years of marriage 3 weeks ago with family. She was a loving and devoted mother to her children, Jim Stovall, Jr. of Decatur, GA; Steve Stovall (Karen) of Anderson SC, and Beth Stovall Byrne (Chris) of Spartanburg, SC; and a dedicated grandmother to her beloved grandchildren, David Zabriskie, Luke and Lydia Stovall, and Nicholas and Zachary Byrne. She is also survived by her brother, John T. Perkins, Jr. (Joanne); and three nephews, Mark, David, and Matthew Perkins.
Gloria loved her family and loved others, and she was known for her home-cooked meals including her famous homemade rolls, which she would gift frequently. When entertaining, she made sure her guests felt at home. She was a gracious and giving person (Proverbs 31:10-31).
In her free time, she enjoyed participating in DAR and Garden Club, keeping her home, and especially tending to the flowers in her yard. She also enjoyed doing crafts such as paper quilling, the art of rolling thin strips of paper, which she then arranged into flowers and other designs, decorating wedding invitations and other items, which she frequently gave as gifts. She and Jim loved the NC mountains, traveling often to their cabin, His High Place, in Black Mountain, NC. For family get-togethers, many memories were made at their condo in Litchfield Beach, SC and family trips to Pawley’s Island, SC, including playing in the surf, walking on the beach and crabbing.
Gloria graduated from North Fulton High School in Atlanta, GA, attended Savannah High in Savannah, GA, was a graduate of the University of Georgia, and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. After graduation, she worked in Europe for 14 months as a civilian in charge of the crafts shop for the US Army soldiers at the base in Ulm, Germany. She was a Brownie and a Cub Scout Leader, and served as Cookie Colonel.
She was an active member of Taylors First Baptist Church, serving in both Preschool and Adult Sunday School classes. She also sang in the Legacy Choir and served as a greeter. With her husband, Jim, she served on many international, national, and local mission ministry opportunities including charitable leadership at Anderson University, Clemson University, Salvation Army, and several Baptist institutions.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 13th at 2:00 pm at Taylors First Baptist Church with Dr. Jimmie Harley and Rev. Jerry Long officiating. The family will receive friends in the Gathering Space before the service from 12:00 – 1:45 pm. A committal will follow the service at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorials to Anderson University, Stovall Family Endowed Scholarship, 316 Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29621; Clemson University, Stovall Family Endowed Scholarship, Clemson, South Carolina 29634; or Greenville Salvation Army, www.SalvationArmyCarolinas.org/GreenvilleSC or at PO Box 1237, Greenville, SC 29602.
