On the morning of Sept. 29, the family of Mary Gloria Murray Temple lost their dear mother. She passed quietly at Geer Village Nursing Home in Canaan, Connecticut, with her sweet, lovely friend and roommate Nancy Jacobs by her side.
Gloria was born Aug. 26, 1924, in Winthrop, Massachusettas, to Mary Alice and Rudolf J. Murray. She graduated from St. James High School in the class of 1943, and went on to graduate from Mount Saint Mary College as a registered nurse in 1950. She was part of the greatest generation and as a young woman, along with many of her friends, she helped roll bandages for the Red Cross during World War II. Her uncle George Dominic Murray was a Navy admiral who served on the USS Enterprise during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway. During her married life, Gloria lived in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Fort Ord in Monterey, California, before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1980s she moved back to Massachusetts, settling in Stockbridge, and lived at Heaton Court for over 30 years. Gloria was a member of St. Peter’s Church in Great Barrington, where she joyfully sang in the choir and made many friends. She was an accomplished painter, had a passion for needlepoint, and her houseplants were always thriving, as she had a green thumb. Gloria loved animals of all kinds and enjoyed watching Animal Planet with Nancy.
Gloria is survived by daughters Mary K. Temple of California, Johanna Aiello and life partner Joseph Mallory of Massachusetts, and Maura Temple of California; three grandsons: Jacob Vilt of California, Reid Ramirez of New York and David Temple-Thompson of California; two nephews: Joe and wife Kathy La Gasse of Florida, and Steve La Gasse of Florida; and longtime friends Margret Moran of Massachusetts, Lorraine Ward of Massachusetts and Betty Morris of New Jersey. Gloria was preceded in death by children Sheila Anne, Alice “Lisa” Marie and Charles “Chuck” Howard; and her sister Carolyn La Gasse.
The family would like to thank the entire staff at Geer, the doctors, nurses, CNAs, activities, kitchen and laundry staff, for such loving and compassionate care. Their mom enjoyed talking to each and everyone of them and they are the family’s biggest heroes! The family would also like to thank the staff at Fairview Commons, who cared for their mom for four years: Even though she had many of her own children, she always said, “There’s always room for one more!”
Per her wishes there will be a memorial Mass Thursday, Oct. 9, at 10 a.m. at St. Peters Church in Great Barrington; attendees are asked to please be sure to wear their masks. In her own words, “mer c bow cups”: That’s her version of “merci beaucoup” Thank you very much! Good-bye Mom, your family is gonna miss you! Her favorite charity was St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and donations in her memory can be made there in care of the Birches-Roy Funeral Home, 33 South St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Condolences may be made through birchesroyfuneralservices.com.
