Gloria Dean Younginer

Gloria was 75 years old as she was called home in the early morning of October 31, 2022, at her home in Aurora, Colorado.

She was born as the first child of Esther and Thaddeus Bynum on Mothers’ Day, May 12, 1947, at Maxwell Field AFB in Montgomery, AL. She was followed by JoAnn (Gregory), Thaddeus Jr (Dorothy), and Larry (Marie) over the next three and a half years. She took her role as big sister seriously and carried her baby brother to school on her back. As an air force brat who went on to marry an air force officer, she lived all over the country, including Fort Wainwright, and Elmondorf AFB in Alaska and Hickam AFB in Hawaii as well as the small town of Mackenbach, Germany outside of Ramstein AFB. In fact, she had traveled through all 50 of the United States.

Before graduating from Denver’s George Washington High School in 1965, Gloria was honored to be the first salesclerk of color to work at Joslins Department Stores. She married Jacob Younginer in July 1965 in New Jersey. After giving up and investing in a beautiful, non-child-friendly white sofa, they welcomed their first daughter, Vicki (Victoria Lynn), in November 1969. A son, Craig (Jacob MacArthur Jr.) followed in July 1973 and shortly afterward they abandoned the idea of having a dozen children. Gloria settled into being a PTO/Scout mom to them as well as her nephew, Barry (Gregory Barrington McKnight) during the summers. She showed early signs of her future crafting hobby by sewing clothing and decorating the family’s homes around the world.

After returning home to Colorado just as the first flakes of the blizzard of Christmas 1982 began to fall, Gloria moved to Aurora and spent some years running a small home day-care. As her children finished their schooling, she started working in the insurance industry, first paying claims then as a customer service representative where she made several deep friendships over the years. When her career ended, she spent some years in Algonquin, Illinois with Vicki and returned home to Colorado with her in 2014. They eventually settled back in Aurora with her brother, Larry and his daughter Debbie and son-in-law Jose nearby. There, Gloria continued her love of crafting and collecting craft supplies, belonging to several on-line clubs.

As her health challenges grew, she loved doting on her granddaughter, Amber (13), her grandnephews Nathan (4), Nahum (19), Remington (23), and De’Shant (26), and grandnieces, Maria (10), Michelle (14), and Antoinette (20). Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, sister JoAnn (2015), brother Thaddeus (2013), and her grandniece Sirhara (1997).

A memorial service for Gloria will be held Friday, December 9, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Olinger Hampden Mortuary & Cemetery, 8600 East Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80231, followed by a graveside service from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM.

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Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Younginer family.