Gloria Anderson Schniepp passed away on the morning of Jan. 12th. Gloria is survived by her 4 children Shelley, Jerry (Ruth), Jill (Bob) and Jack (Stacy), 15 grandchildren and 5 great grandkids. She courageously battled Parkinson’s disease for many years.
Gloria grew up in the small town of Forreston where her brother Keith “Andy” and his family, and a few childhood friends still reside. Gloria and her late husband Jerry Sr. moved to La Mesa permanently in 1973 where she remained until just weeks before her passing.
She was a nurse at Grossmont Hospital for over 30 years serving mainly in the emergency room, as a paramedic radio nurse, and as a teaching coordinator. In her final year before retirement she was honored as the nurse of the year for the entire hospital. Her warm smiles and laugh along with her “loud” presence were known well and loved by coworkers and patients alike.
Gloria and Jerry volunteered at LM Nat’l LL for over a decade. She filled many roles from official scorekeeper to team mom. She may have been best known as the loudest fan in the stands! A die-hard Padre fan, she held season tickets for many years and was in the stands during the Padres’ 84 post-season, Game 3 of the ‘98 World Series and the ’78 All Star game. She enjoyed the “new” Padres as well with one of her favorite players being Fernando Tatis Jr.!
Her house was a museum of antiques, trivets, birdhouses, baskets and everything Amish or PA Dutch. She enjoyed gardening and birdwatching, Robert Frost poetry, Gladys Taber novels, the art of Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses, Penn State football, and telling and retelling the stories and events of her adult children and their families to anyone who would listen!
She almost always had a positive outlook even after enduring the loss of her husband and then a little over a decade later after reconnecting with her HS sweetheart, Lowell Wilson, losing him as well just months before their planned wedding.
In her 70’s she began attending church at Fletcher Hills Presbyterian where she, in her own words, “came back to her childhood faith”. At FHPC, she made many new friends through her involvement in various groups and ministries. She also served as a Deacon from July 2012 through 2015.
Gloria was a fighter, a talker, and a fierce defender of anyone related to her. She was a completely devoted and self-sacrificing mother. We’ll always remember her special sensitivity with tears flowing easily over sappy tv commercials or goodbyes of any length. Known for her warm welcomes and baked goodies, she was the quintessential grandma with a home where all felt welcomed and none departed hungry.
We mourn the loss of our mother but celebrate a life well lived! We are comforted knowing she is at peace now and no longer suffering.
To honor Gloria and her passion for youth sports, donations in her name can be sent to La Mesa Nat’l LL. We are hoping to plan a memorial later in the year.
