Gloria Freeman

Gloria Margaret Freeman, 99, died peacefully after a long and fruitful life on December 5, 2020 from the Covid-19 virus. After 99 years on this earth, she deserves more than an obituary. Therefore, I offer this tribute to my mother. She was born on Nov 16th, 1921 to Italian immigrants, Andrea and Cesarina Angelina Luzi, in Marquette Mi... Mom was ultimately reared in Milwaukee WI. Her father died from a stroke when she was just 17, which required her to go to work to help support her non-English speaking mother. She was married at 20 to her high school sweetheart who died early in WWII and she remained in Milwaukee to continue to care for her mother. In 1944 she moved to Houston to support the war effort and worked at an Army Air Corps base. There she met her second husband, John Freeman of Middletown, Oh and remained married until his passing in 1995. They had two sons, Bob and me, Tim. Bob was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in 1974 and I reside in the Akron Oh area with my best friend and wife Shelley. After the war, my mom and dad moved to Milwaukee to start a new postwar life and again care for my grandmother. In 1960, our entire family moved to Madison WI... There, mom started her 30+ year working career with the Economic Development Department for the State of WI. Mom had multiple personal achievements in her life including caring for her family, educating herself with office management skills and learning to successfully prosper in the stock market just to name a few. But, perhaps her most memorable professional accomplishment was her contribution and participation in organizing no less than 7 international Trade Missions to 27 different countries on behalf of former WI. Governor Warren P. Knowles. (On a personal note, I cannot tell you how many times I saw the slides of her trips.) In her later years she moved to Ohio to share our home. Mom was a highly intelligent and frugal woman. She rose from poverty and tragedy to excel financially and emotionally beyond her imagination. Her humor was subtle, and her solemnity was no doubt a reflection of being raised in the depression. She was a wonderful wife to my dad and a very loving, understanding and forgiving mother to my brother and me. She is survived by me, my wife Shelly, her two amazing Granddaughters, Rachel, and Sarah Scava and various nephews and cousins. Mom's life will be celebrated in a private ceremony for the family at my home in Green, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, she would appreciate a donation in her name to your local SPCA.