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Gloria Ayers

February 20, 1941 - June 29, 2023
Visitation
Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers
6025 82nd Street
Lubbock, TX 79424
Thursday 7/6, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Service
Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers
6025 82nd Street
Lubbock, TX 79424
Friday 7/7, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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The family of Gloria Irma Ayers will host a gathering of family and friends from 5:30 PM until 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 06, 2023, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. A service to celebrate her life of 82 years is scheduled at 1:00 PM on Friday, July 7, 2023, at Lake Ridge ChapelContinue Reading

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Jan Lloyd left a message on July 2, 2023:
Gloria Solis Ayers was beautiful in body, mind, and soul and she touched my life in a million ways. Gloria was surrounded by her loving family and friends when she passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 29th. She was 83 years old. I met Gloria 46 years ago. I was the mail clerk at what was then Health Sciences Center Hospital. She worked for one of the doctors at the med school, transcribing notes and all sorts of other interesting things. I would pass by her office every day on my way to deliver mail to the Emergency Room. One day, as she was standing at her office door, she called out to me. She introduced herself and asked me if I could do her a “tall” favor. “Sure, what can I do for you?” I asked with curiosity. “You’re tall.” Gloria said, “Thus the ‘tall’ favor”. I noticed Gloria was more than a head shorter than me and her legs were shackled in braces. She also used crutches to propel herself with. My interest was piqued. “Yes, I’m tall. Do you need me to get something off of one of your shelves for you?” I asked. “I grew up fetching things others can’t reach.” “That’s good to know,” she said. “But what I really need for you to do is water this plant for me.” Gloria pointed to a plant dangling from a hanging basket high in the corner of her office. “The plant came with the office when I moved in. I bought this watering can with a long spout so I could water it, but it's still too high for me to reach.” Well, I watered her plant for her and sat and visited with her. She had me in stitches in minutes. She was literally one of the funniest people I had ever met. A natural extrovert at heart, I don’t think there was ever anyone she wouldn’t reach out to. After that, I stopped by her office daily to visit with her. I have to admit, her good cheer had a profound influence on me. Even after our lives took us in different directions, we remained friends and kept in touch. She worked in various positions in Lubbock, while I took a teaching job in Clovis, NM. When email finally came about, it was easier for us to keep in touch. Gloria worked until she was 72 years old. I had the greatest respect for her work ethics and her ability to get things done despite a life with polio. It never slowed her. She lost her husband, Lonnie, to Covid a couple of years ago and she could no longer live on her own. By then, post-polio had rendered her more dependent on help. She has lived in a nursing home for the past two years. When I was in college, for my Anthropology class, I wrote a paper about her. She led a vastly different life from mine and her stories were fascinating. After I retired and moved back to Lubbock, I encouraged her to write her memoirs. She wasn’t sure where to begin, so I got online and printed out some things from the Internet. I also read a couple of great memoirs and told her about them. For National Novel Writing Month last November, I decided I would write her story. I began recording her stories and typing them each day. We had fun visiting each week and we spent a lot of time laughing. We decided we would turn it into a novel rather than a memoir but the events would come from her stories. We have not finished the book, but I will continue writing. In her final days, I would go up to the hospital and read to Gloria. Sometimes I would read pages from the memoir. Other times I would read from Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. We had both read that book at different times in our lives and agreed that it was one of the most influential books we had ever read. Though I am an introvert by nature, and she an extrovert, we had a commonality of spirit. I have been lucky all my life to meet the most interesting people. Gloria has made a lasting impact on me. I will cherish all my memories with her. I am grateful to have her daughter Dina and her granddaughter Abby in my life now, too. I look forward to making many memories with them as well.
Lake Ridge Chapel & Memorial Designers left a message:
Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.
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