My mother's obituary which may appear in some papers but thought I would share it here! She was an incredible person and I was blessed to have as my mother. Love and miss you Mom!
Gloria B. Winship, aged 89, died peacefully of natural causes Friday, September 25th at her home in Laguna Nigel, California. Born Gloria Ruth Berg to B. Martin and Ruth (Coleman) Berg in Superior, Wisconsin in 1926, she graduated from Superior State College with a degree in music and went on to become a noted Music Teacher, Choir Director and Soprano Soloist, performing on stage, radio, television and recordings during her remarkable career.
Beginning in the late 1940’s she started as a music teacher for the Delavan Public School system in Delavan, Wisconsin. In 1950, she married Warren A. Colley (deceased) and relocated to Chicago, Ill. Known as Gloria Colley during the 1950’s and 1960’s she was the soprano soloist for Chicago’s Euterpean Oratorio Chorus, Lindberg Chorus, Crescendo Club and Morgan Park Baptist Church, among others. She was also regularly featured on WTTW’s “Chicago Sunday Evening Club” television program, broadcast weekly from Orchestra Hall. After the sudden death of her husband in 1967, she began a 20 year career as a music teacher for the Glenview Public Schools in Glenview, Ill. During this period she also privately taught numerous piano and vocal students, and served as the Choir Director for the St Peter's United Church of Christ in Northbrook, Ill. In 1970, she married her second husband, Edward P. Winship (deceased). Retiring from teaching in the mid 80’s, she moved to Florida and spent many wonderful years in Orange Park as a member of the Orange Park United Methodist Church Choir. Talented in the arts beyond music, she was also an accomplished visual artist and her hobbies included painting, crafts and a passion for building and decorating miniature doll houses. As her health began to decline during her later years, she relocated to California to be close to her daughter and son.
She was mother to Ford Colley (Mary), Craig Colley (Karyn), Ruth Loomis (Tim), and Pamela Gaynor (Brian) and is survived by five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to a memorial fund set up in her name supporting Norman B. Barr Camp, a non-profit summer camp located on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin that serves economically challenged children and young adults with special needs. Donations by check should be sent to: Norman B Barr Camp - PO Box 70 - Williams Bay, WI 53191 or can be made online via credit card or PayPal at: www.normanbbarrcamp.org/donate.html
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the summer of 2016 in the Bowman Chapel at Norman B. Barr Camp. Date and time of the service will be announced. In addition, a song about her life, entitled “Gloria”, has been written, produced and performed in her honor by her son Craig and can be streamed or downloaded at: www.121netradio.com/Gloria.mp3
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