- Date Of Birth: December 26, 1934
- Date Of Death: November 30, 2018
- State: Florida
Gloria Marie Galloway passed away in her home on Friday, November 30th in Cocoa Beach, Florida at the age of 83. She was surrounded by family and friends. She is survived by her sister Marjorie Hollish of Benson, Arizona, and by her five children and their families Mike Galloway, Kelly Bess, Matt Galloway, Pamela Robinson, and Scott Galloway. She has 16 Grandchildren, and 11 Great Grandchildren, and countless cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws who were with her in spirit. Gloria was preceded in death by her beloved husband William F. Galloway, her parents Joseph and Marie Lenk, her brother Joseph Lenk, and her sister Darla Guarino.
Gloria was born in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Garfield High School. She attended Akron University and met Bill Galloway, the love of her life. They were married in 1955 in Aiken, South Carolina while he was in basic training for the US Army. They headed to Crailsheim, Germany, where they began their married life and eventually welcomed the birth of their first child. They returned to Akron, where Bill worked at Goodrich Tires and attended college, while they welcomed 4 more children. She was a wonderful mother and claimed that this was the “happiest, but busiest” time of her life. In 1963 they moved their young family to Cocoa Beach, Florida where they lived a healthy and fruitful life. In 1972 when the space program was shutting down, they took a huge leap and moved to Cedar City, Utah. Five years later, they returned Ohio, to the small town of Oregonia. They became seasonal residents of Cocoa Beach for several years, until their retirement brought them here for good.
Although Gloria’s life was ever-changing, it was also full of consistencies. She was a strong believer in the importance of education and continued to take college courses with every move. She completed her Master’s Degree in Education at the age of 45 and began her teaching career in Morrow, Ohio after her own children were off to college themselves. She built strong friendships no matter where she moved, and kept in touch throughout her life. She and Bill traveled all over the world including Europe, China, India, and Africa to learn about and experience other cultures.
Her Catholic faith was strong and the foundation upon which the rest of her life was built.
The most important thing her life was her family. Once she had grandchildren, she was known to us all as GG. She loved sports, corny jokes, cooking Slovak food, singing along with her favorite musicals, and never failed to make us laugh. She inspired all who knew her by being an example of how to lead and cherish a happy life. The family is grateful to the excellent caregivers who brought her so much joy in last years and days of her life.
