Gloria Ellis peacefully passed from this earth in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 19, 2019. Gloria was born to Charles and Mary Lilley Kenney on December 18, 1921 in Washington D.C. She met her future husband, Bob, in high school and after graduation they married in February 1942. In November of that same year, Bob enlisted with the US Army Air Force and Gloria went to work at the Pentagon for the War Department. Soon after they decided to begin their family and were blessed with two daughters. At that time, Gloria decided to put her career on hold and to stay home and be with the girls.
As Bob furthered his military career achieving the rank of Major, Gloria supported him through 23 years of military service. They were stationed in San Francisco CA, San Antonio TX, Riverside CA, San Angelo TX, Chicksands AFB England, and back to San Angelo where Gloria continued her career with the Federal Service for the next 25 years. She was ultimately awarded the Air Force Outstanding Service Medal for her devoted job performance from 1966-1985.
Gloria and Bob shared 52 years together until his passing in 1994. Gloria developed many talents and kept busy as she began bowling again, playing bingo, tennis, golf, and shooting pool. She had a gift for creating the most lavish Christmas stockings and you were considered special if you were lucky to have one! However, Gloria’s biggest passion was watching the Dallas Cowboys win, like they did last Sunday.
Gloria had a zest for life. She was sassy and full of spunk. She was adventurous and competitive…playing and swimming with the dolphins on her 90th birthday, always striving to win whether it was at board games, cards, bean bag baseball, Chinese checkers or being that shark at shooting pool. Her displeasure with you might result in having her stick her tongue out at you and tell you to “go to your room!”
Gloria also had the biggest heart. She was filled with laughter, wonder and full of joy. She amazed everyone with her strength and independence; her smile was contagious and when she hugged you, you knew how much you were loved!
Although she has left us, the memories and the stories we will hold in our hearts will be cherished forever.
Welcoming her in Heaven were her parents, her husband, her brother Ellsworth Kenney, and her grandson, Aaron Ryan Duke.
Gloria is survived by her two daughters: Cheryl Ann Duke of Plano and Deborah (Deby) Elva Calhoun and husband, Danny of San Angelo; 3 grandchildren: Jeremiah (Jeremy) David Duke and wife, Brandi of Carrollton; Shawn Louise Partridge and husband, Ronald (Ron) of Cedar Park, and Jason Daniel Calhoun, and wife Dana of San Angelo; great-grandchildren: Charli Ruth Duke, Ryleigh Austin Duke, Alexis Ellis Partridge, Lauren Margaret Partridge, Ana-Kate Mackenzie Partridge, Dylan Parker Calhoun, and Davis Alexander Calhoun.
The family expresses its deepest gratitude to her Lakeline Family in Cedar Park, her special friends who still reside there: Beverly and Dorothy; ComForCare aides: Ashley, Tiffany and Frances; Brookdale Hospice of Cedar Park: Nurse Sharon; New Haven Assisted Living & Memory Care in San Angelo: Ashley, Alicia, Julia, Cynthia, Sondra, Tonya, Lauren, and Anessa; and St. Gabriel’s Hospice and Palliative Care in San Angelo: Vicki, Jennifer, Molly, Jenni, Rene, and Tommy.
The family will have a private memorial; no public service will be held.
“Relationships in life don’t really end, even if you never see the person again. Every person you’ve been close to lives on somewhere inside you…your parents, your friends, people both alive and dead symbolically or literally, all of them evoke memories, consciously or not...sometimes you have conversations with them in your head and sometimes they speak to you in your sleep”. -Lori Gottlieb
Post a comment to this article here: