Gloria Lillian Harless, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother peacefully passed into eternal life on January 29, 2023 from Vascular Dementia; she was 91 years old. Gloria was preceded in death by her daughter Melinda and her husband of 57 years Gene. She is survived by her son Mike, his wife Kathleen, son Steve and his wife Julie, grandchildren from Mike; Brian Harless (Jennie), Lori Karreman (Matt); Melinda’s daughters Gina Tubbs (Ryan) and Leah Perez (Jose); Steve’s daughters Christa Harless, Alysa Johnson (Ryan). Great grandchildren, Noah and Bethany (Brian), Sam (Lori), Kaeleigh, Nathan, Gavin and Lincoln (Alysa), Grayson (Gina) and Emilia (Leah).

Originally from Sauk Center, Minnesota, she was the youngest of 5 children born to Louis and Margaret Wiener. Gloria worked as a phone operator for Pacific Bell and at 22 years of age Gloria decided to leave Sauk Center for Pasadena California. She was able to transfer her job with the phone company and was amazed at how a big city telephone operator job was different than the small town she grew up in. There she met a sailor, the love of her life, Gene, in San Diego in July of 1954; the two were married the following October. After Gene was discharged, they moved to Citrus Heights, CA where they had 3 children and built their life together.

Gloria enjoyed reading, fishing and baking, even making cakes for family weddings. She also enjoyed spending time at the cabin that she helped build in Kingvale.

Gloria and Gene were members of Holy Family Catholic Church for over 55 years. A devout Roman Catholic, Gloria was very active in the Catholic Ladies Relief Society in Citrus Heights and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas while living in Marysville CA where they retired. Gloria was devoted to attending daily mass and dedicated many hours to cleaning the church and assisting with counting the offertory collections. She always looked forward to her time with the friends on Monday where she would get her weekly donut and the group would sing the song “Gloria” to her when she walked in the door.

Some of the cherished memories we have are: her stories of growing up in a small town, the stories of her marching in parades as well as her experience working for the phone company as a switch board operator and how the phones had changed during her lifetime. Gloria was devoted to her daily morning prayer routine, her Saturday sweatshirt, her love of Snickers candy bars and Ruffles potato chips (which had to be broken into small pieces). She enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles even up until the last week of her life and found great joy watching the wild birds feed at the feeders in our backyard.

Gloria was looking forward to everlasting life with our Lord and told everyone how “she had her bags packed” and was ready whenever God was.

There will be a memorial mass at Holy Family Catholic Church in Citrus Heights on April 22, 2023 at 10:00 am, interment will be at Sacramento National Cemetery  in Dixon on April 24, 2023 at 9:30 am.

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