Gloria J. Smith, age 76, of Avon, passed away peacefully at the CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud, surrounded by her family, on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
The Mass of Christian Burial celebrating her life will be 11 a.m. Saturday, December 14th at the Church of St. Benedict in Avon with Rev. Gregory Miller, OSB officiating. Interment will follow mass at St. Benedict’s Cemetery in Avon.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, December 14th at the church.
Gloria J. Smith was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota on April 1, 1948 to Melvin and Lorraine (Schirmers) Raden. In 1968, Gloria married the love of her life, Jerome “Pete” A. Smith, Jr. at the Church of St. Benedict’s in Avon. They welcomed their beautiful, one and only, daughter Dawn into their lives in 1969. Gloria spent many years at home raising their daughter while Pete was out on the road working. As Dawn became more independent, Gloria went into the workplace, working for Schlenner Wenner as an administrative assistant, Dinndorf Drug as a pharmacy tech and most recently the YMCA Daycare Center where she loved “her kids” as if they were her own. In retirement Gloria spent her days, together with Pete, at their home in Avon, enjoying their yard and rose bushes and spending time with their beloved pet Rio. Gloria spent her evenings talking on the phone with Dawn catching up on each other’s days. On July 27, 2024, Gloria and Pete celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. Theirs was truly a lifetime love.
Gloria loved “her people.” If you were one, you knew it! She maintained many friends from high school, who still frequently gathered together at a local restaurant to catch up and support each other. In her spare time, Gloria could be found reading, playing Words on her iPad or enjoying time in her screen porch visiting with family and friends.
Gloria is survived by her daughter Dawn (Jason) Ballard; siblings, LeRoy (Mary Lou) Raden, Diane (Terry) Pflipsen and Odie (Steve) Goward; in-laws, Margaret Budde, Joyce (Ron) Klein, Nick (Shirley) Smith, Jane (Vern) Schreifels, Rebecca (Charles) Arnold, Mike Smith, and Mary Smith; many nieces and nephews and her beloved pet, Rio.
Gloria was proceeded in death by her husband Jerome “Pete” Smith in August 2024; her parents; sisters, Elizabeth “Betty” Raden, Eileen Nathe; brothers, Ronald “Ronnie” Raden, David Raden, Danny Raden and Jeffrey Raden; in-laws, Frank “Olie” Nathe, Mary Kay Knoblach and Robert Smith.
Gloria will be dearly missed by all who were blessed to have known her.
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