Gloria Bell Eldridge, 82, of Tucson, Arizona, fell asleep in the Lord on January 21, 2024, at Peppi’s House-Tucson Medical Center Hospice.

Gloria was born May 4, 1941, to the late Jean Lamar Haywood and the late Dock Bell in Montgomery, Alabama. She grew up in Alabama and because her mother was young, she was raised by her grandparents James and Rilla Bell.

After Gloria graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, she moved to Tucson, Arizona around 1959 to be with her mother and siblings. She attended Pima Community College and the University of Arizona. Gloria worked as a Data Encoder at Bell Aerospace and a Health & Nutrition Coordinator at Child Parent Center-Head Start.

In 1982, Gloria married William Eldridge and relocated to Syracuse, New York. While in Syracuse, she worked as a Parent Educator/Youth Development Specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Gloria was a devout Christian and godly woman who was faithful to the Seventh- Day Adventist Church. As a member of the SDA Church, she served as Church Treasurer, Sabbath School Teacher, and Leader, VBS Leader, Pathfinder Leader and School Board Member. She was very dedicated to her family and loved spending time outdoors. She also enjoyed reading, studying her Bible, playing Scrabble and crossword puzzles, listening to music, and singing. Her love for the rhinoceros, is reflected in her extensive rhino collections, her email name-Lady Rhino, and her card designing brand-Rhino Baby Productions.

Gloria was preceded in death by her father Dock Bell; step-father Hemsley Haywood; mother Jean Haywood; husband William Eldridge; grandson Roderick Eldridge, Jr.; and two siblings: Paul Brown and Hemsley Haywood, Jr.

She leaves to cherish memories of her love with: her children: Joy Bell (Jose) Whitner; Reginald (Sharon) Eldridge, Natalie (Ron) Daise, Roderick (Sabrina) Eldridge; 13 grandchildren; 1 great-grand child; and 9 siblings William (Karen) Brown, Samella (late Lemorris) Harris, Willie (Susan) Brown Barbara (Martel) Mosley, David (Beverly) Brown, Russell Brown, Deanna Jarrell, Nancy (Lorenzo) Allen, and Audrey Haywood. She is also survived by over fifty nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, and countless others who loved her dearly.

Gloria was known as Glo-Glo, Gloria Jingle-Bells, Sis E, Nana, and many other terms of endearment. She was a source of great strength, support, and love for her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.

The service will be streamed online. Please visit https://youtube.com/@tucsonsharonsdachurch to view the service.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Save the Rhino at https://www.savetherhino.org.

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