Gloriadale R. Richards' Obituary
Gloria Richards July 5, 2021
Gloria hated funerals and did not want any fuss when she passed - no wake, viewing, memorial service, grave side service or obituary. I have generally honored her wishes, but thought you might like to remember a little of her life with me.
She was born in Baton Rouge, LA in 1943 and moved to Illinois just outside of St. Louis early in life. Her father worked for Alcoa and they moved from Illinois to Pt. Lavaca, TX in 1957 when Alcoa opened a new plant there. Gloria quickly adapted to Texas and thought she was in heaven when she got down here. She considered herself a true Texan ever after. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Rose Clark, and her only brother, Jim Clark.
Gloria graduated from Calhoun High School in Pt. Lavaca, attended Victoria College on full scholarship and then went on to UT Austin.
We had our first date in high school in 1958 and were married in 1965 in a small ceremony back home in Pt. Lavaca. She moved to Dallas to support us through my final year at SMU. That’s 56 years – yes, we were in love, but also best friends.
Gloria was a strong willed, opinionated woman with immense integrity. Gloria wanted to save endangered animals and make the world a better place supporting many rescue, wildlife and environmental groups. She had always loved dogs, so I gave her a poodle before we were married and we have had a dog ever since. We are now training number 6, a rescue named Missy.
She was a longtime member of the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake. She was a reluctant sailor, racing with me as my crew. She hung in until the day I “encouraged” her to finish a race in a hailstorm – after all we weren’t far from the finish line! That’s when she decided that my level of competitiveness didn’t match hers and she promptly retired. She continued to support my sailing endeavors by volunteering at the club.
Gloria loved books and was a voracious reader. She also loved the arts and supported them as an active volunteer. She served on the board of directors for 500 Inc and the Dallas Ballet for many years. With her involvement with the arts, she developed a keen eye. I took up photography when I retired and entered a lot of contests, always asking Gloria to critique and help me select images. She was not shy about telling what she thought and she was usually spot on.
We belong to a dinner club with 6 other couples that have eaten out together bi-monthly for 29 years. This group became some of Gloria’s most cherished friends.
Growing up in Pt. Lavaca, her love of the water grew. In high school she was a lifeguard at the local pool, and spent a lot of time at the beach and waterskiing all over the bay. She had a huge seashell
collection and she developed an appreciation for and collected sea glass. She grew to love snorkeling and even tried a little underwater photography on our trips to the Virgin Islands and Mexico.
We traveled the world together on planes, trains and ships while we were able. Occasionally by car, but she hated to drive. We visited more than 30 islands and every continent except Antarctica. She loved seeing the world and visiting different cultures, with Greece being her all time favorite.
So that is a little snapshot of my best friend, Gloria. Three years ago she had a bad pneumonia related infection and she has been having health problems ever since. I think her body finally said enough is enough. She died peacefully in her sleep on July 5th and will be buried at Restland Cemetery. Donations may be made in honor of Gloria to the Nature Conservancy in Texas.
Her loving husband, Frank
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