Gloria Faye Shapland Bohannon, 85, of Jacksonville, Arkansas passed away October 30, 2018 at Navarre Gardens, (Navarre, Florida) surrounded by her loving family. She was born on August 16, 1933, the daughter of Aileen Thompson Shapland and William Angus Shapland in Alberta, Canada. Later she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia where she graduated from Vancouver High School in 1951. While attending college in Tillamook Oregon, she met the man of her dreams--BO. After a two-year courtship of letter writing between the two, on July 10, 1953 she married Arthur D. Bohannon, of Keene, N.H., whom she met while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force in Tillamook, Oregon. While her husband served in the Air Force, they lived in Massachusetts, Spain, Nebraska, and Arkansas. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2013, just months before her beau passed away on August 10, 2013.
Gloria was a great stay at home mom. She had two tough years when Bo (Arthur) was serving in the Viet-Nam War first in Viet Nam (1966) and then Thailand (1970). She did a great job raising three children in these trying times—all three kids became educators and earned graduate degrees.
She later worked at the Army Air Force Exchange Service for 23 years. After spending many years caring for her family, she picked a hobby which became her passion--quilting. She belonged to two Quilt Guilds and was the Quest Quilters Guild President for two years. After her retirement she also volunteered for 10 years in the Hospital Auxiliary at Rebsamen Memorial Hospital, in Jacksonville, Arkansas. Through a program sponsored by the United Methodist Church, Gloria and Bo also volunteered to teach sewing lessons to young, unwed mothers in Little Rock, Arkansas. At the end of each class, every young, expectant mother had a new quilt for their baby.
In her later years she and her mate of 60 years were members of the Park Hill Christian Church in North Little Rock singing in the choir and volunteering for numerous other activities.
She was preceded in death by her father William Shapland, mother Aileen McKay and brother Ronald Shapland. Survivors include her children Daniel D. Bohannon and Kaethe Bohannon of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Aileen Faye Durkee, and Kevin S. Durkee of Fair Haven, Vermont, Kenneth Bohannon of Chickasha, Oklahoma; grand-children Danielle and Dana Bohannon and Brandon Adams of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Joshua Durkee and his wife Mercedez Durkee, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, and Alexandra Bohannon of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; great-grand-children Isabella Durkee, Xavier Durkee, Nolan Jack Adams, Lyanna Camille Adams, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Heifer International of Little Rock, or Park Hill Christian Church of North Little Rock.
Services will be held at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home in North Little Rock, Arkansas, with visitation on Monday, November 5, from 5-7pm, and funeral service on Tuesday, November 6, at 10am.
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