Gloria G

Mills

Gloria Glovena Mills, affectionately known as "Glo" to family and friends, departed this life peacefully with her devoted husband and family by her side on October 17, 2022 at St. Joseph's Wayne Medical Center in Wayne, New Jersey.  Gloria, beloved daughter to the late Franklin and Bernice Smalls, was born on January 3, 1939 at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York.

Gloria was a loving wife to her husband, Richard, for over 52-years and an endearing mother to their children.  She was never one to complain and was always concerned about the well-being of others. Gloria was the epitome of a social butterfly and was known in her community for dropping off treats to local offices, donating her time to social causes, and giving to those in need.  Gloria had a "light" to her spirit that shined brightly and naturally drew people in.  Her spirit was refreshing and made it easy to be in her presence.

Gloria was a resident of New Jersey for 50 years, however, the Bronx and her beloved Kelly Street was always in her heart. She attended Morris High School graduating in 1956. Thereafter, Gloria immediately became employed at Metropolitan Life Insurance; however, education was an important part of her life.  In addition to working, she also continued her studies at the City College of New York earning a Bachelor's degree.

Gloria's career path at Metropolitan Life Insurance was the foundation that led to one of her career milestones as an IBM salesperson. During her tenure with IBM in the 1960s and through the early 1970s, Gloria, the only Black person on her team, consistently surpassed her white male and female counterparts' sales numbers. It is no surprise that Gloria forged this path of excellence, as she was blessed with a sharp wit, equipped with an unequivocal strong work ethic, and adorned with an undeniable magnetic personality.  Furthermore, she broke the racial barriers by helping other Black people to become gainfully employed at IBM.

Gloria was always gifted, not only academically, but with the ability of showing others that they mattered.  This especially applied to her family – family has always been at the center of all that Gloria did and the choices she made. In conversations, Gloria often discussed how her job at IBM required an insurmountable amount of travel, and as a single parent at the time, she desired to be present for her son.

As a result, in 1970, Gloria made the decision to leave IBM and begin her final career chapter   with the New York City Department of Education.  As an educator, Gloria held various roles including teaching as a Junior High School Math Teacher in the Bronx and in East Harlem, to training teachers for the District Office, and even as an adjunct instructor at several colleges in NYC.  Most importantly, Gloria made a substantial impact on the lives of her students and others beyond the walls of education.  Gloria pushed all of "her children," biological and students, to excel in all that they did, with encouraging words and through her examples.

In 1990, Gloria attained a major achievement by graduating from New York University (NYU), her lifelong dream college, with her Masters degree to become a High School Guidance Counselor. Throughout her 34-year career as an educator, Gloria received numerous awards and accolades, including Certificates of Recognition from the Superintendent, for her superb accomplishments as a Guidance Counselor.

Over the years, entertaining family and friends as a gracious hostess was one of her many joys!  The countless New Year's Eve parties, birthday parties, and holiday dinners are cherished memories held by all who knew her.  A crowd pleaser and party favorite that Gloria was most known for, which should not come as a surprise, was her famous mouth-watering family recipe for Macaroni and Cheese.  Gloria ensured that her beloved: "Richie, Brian, and Kim" also learned to make Macaroni and Cheese "the right way" just as her mother taught her.

Glo also had a strong entrepreneurial spirit, which she shared with her husband Richard (Richie). Glo and Richie had several businesses together from travel to several T-shirt printing endeavors. Glo and Richie shared many adventures traveling extensively within the United States as well as in countless countries in the Caribbean and Europe.

As a retiree, Gloria continued to have a "spirit of giving" by becoming a trained volunteer as an advocate with the Passaic County Children in Foster Advocate. As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, after one year of service, Gloria received special recognition for working with one of the most vulnerable populations—children.   Her philanthropic spirit of giving continued with various donations to shelters and nonprofit organizations such as Eva's Village.

Throughout Gloria's life, she always put God at the center as she was "raised in the church." In her later years, Gloria re-dedicated her life to Christ and became a member of Community Baptist Church ("Community") of Englewood, NJ.

Prior to her becoming ill, she was a dedicated and active member of Community while also serving in the Culinary Ministry where she fed others after services, funerals, and countless other events at the Church. When Gloria could no longer physically attend services, she made sure her family set up her computer to watch virtual church service on Sundays.

Gloria is survived by her husband Richard; children: Brian, Kim, Michele, Karen; brothers Donald (sister-in-love Virginia) and Howard (spouse Karina); several nieces and nephews, countless cousins, and close friends.

The family of Gloria Mills would like to extend special Thanks to her caretakers: Lee and Towana, Cousin Fran, physicians, and the staff of Davita Willowbrook in Wayne, NJ who have been pivotal in Gloria's care.