Gloria Beth (Huckaby) Ortega

She was born on June 1, 1939, the oldest child of Dorothy Conly and Huey Huckaby. Raised on a farm in the red-dirt country of Hall Summit, Louisiana, she developed early the grit, discipline, and competitive fire that stayed with her throughout her life. On the basketball court, she was number five, with long legs and sharp instincts, and it was there, in the fall of 1956, that she caught the eye of a young man named Dennis Ortega, an Army veteran working as a depot agent for KCS Railway in East Point, LA. In June of 1957, they were married.

After marrying in Cross Roads, Louisiana, they moved to Tyler, Texas, so Dennis could attend Tyler Junior College. Over the next 10 years, they had four children: Douglas, Carlos, Christopher, and Angela. At home, Gloria took pride in the details. She loved to cook, sew, and read, always with a book nearby, and had a way of making her children feel like they had been given the world. Whether it was buying records or taking them shopping for school clothes, they never felt they lacked anything they needed. She had an eye for what mattered and a way of making ordinary life feel full, not through abundance, but through intention.

In the early 1970s, as her children entered school, Gloria stepped into a role that would define her working life for more than two decades, serving as Pastoral Assistant at Green Acres Baptist Church alongside pastors Paul W. Powell and David O. Dykes. She was someone people trusted completely and someone who expected things to be done the right way, whether in the church office or on the co-ed volleyball team, where she resurrected her athletic skills and competitive spirit.

There were road trips from East Texas to New Mexico and Louisiana, the family packed into a ’69 Pontiac Bonneville, the miles long and the memories loud. In later years came RV travels with close friends, camping trips with grandchildren, and time spent volunteering with the Volunteer Christian Builders, helping construct churches across the country.

She was both tender and strong. A devoted wife. A loving mother. A steady presence to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. More than anything, Gloria was the person you called in moments of joy, and in moments of need. She listened first and spoke gently, offering wisdom without judgment. She had a quiet intuition that told her when something wasn’t right before a word was said. She didn’t wear her love loudly, but for those who knew her, it was constant, steady and sure.

Her name was Gloria, meaning glory, radiance, light. To those who knew her best, she was “Glo’ Beth,” and to her family, always “our Louisiana girl.” The world is dimmer with her passing, but her light remains in the lives she shaped and the family she built.

Gloria is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy Conly and Huey Huckaby, and her sisters, Mary Huckaby and Patsy Havard.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Dennis Ortega; her children Doug Ortega (Joni), Carlos Ortega, Christopher Ortega, and Angela Ortega (Brooke); her brother Alton Huckaby and sister Shirley Huckaby; her grandchildren Candace Ortega Bridges (Payton), Danielle Ortega Harrison (Nathan), Blake Ortega (Jessica), Nelson Ortega, and River Ortega; her great-grandchildren Wyatt, Emma, and Nolan Dennis Harrison; Eli and Elle Bridges; Audrey and Macie Ortega; Jaxon and West Ortega; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She will be carried to her rest by Payton Bridges, Nathan Harrison, Blake Ortega, Nelson Ortega, Wyatt Harrison, and Eli Bridges.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Breckenridge Village in Tyler, Texas. This organization provides support for adults with special needs, including those with Down syndrome. They are founded on the principles of faith, care and inclusion.

Visitation will be held at Green Acres Baptist Church, 1607 Troup Hwy, Tyler, TX 75701, on April 17, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:30 am, followed by the Funeral Service at the same location at 10:30 am.

A Committal Service will take place at Tyler Memorial Funeral Home - Cemetery and Mausoleum, 12053 State Hwy 64, Tyler, TX 75704.