Gloria Ann McCarter

in Memphis, Tennessee and died November 6, 2019 at Jackson Madison County

General Hospital. She was preceded in death by her husband Thomas Nathan

McCarter,Sr., her parents, Thomas Vaughn Barber, Jr. and Robbie O’Hearn Barber.

She is survived by her brother Thomas Vaughn Barber, III of Olive Branch, MS,

children; Thomas Nathan McCarter, Jr. (Susan) of Fort Mill, SC, Kevin Vaughn

McCarter (Shannon) of Alamo, TN, Kendall Webb McCarter (Sherri) of Jackson, Todd

Robinson McCarter (Jennifer) of Jackson, and nine grandchildren (Cole, Ben, Nolan,

Julia, Lauren, Kade, Miles, Kathleen, Todd) whom she adored.

Gloria was raised in Memphis and often talked about how wonderful it was to grow up

there while it was still a relatively small city. She loved her years at Messick High School

and made lifelong friends during that time. When she was a senior she ran for student

council and as a part of her campaign she organized a concert in the gymnasium with a

young Elvis Presley. It landed her in a lot of hot water because Elvis was not very

popular with the school administration but she did get elected. After graduating from

Messick in 1955, she attended the then Memphis State College where she was a voice

major. After college she began working at the Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper in

the advertising department. It was there that a handsome young Arkansas farm boy

came in to place an ad to sell some calves. While he didn’t meet Gloria that day, he did

see her from across the room and he went home to Marion and told his dad he saw the

girl he was going to marry. It took a while to get her attention but he finally managed to

convince her to go on their first date and from there they began a relationship that would

stand the test of time. They were married at St. Matthews Methodist Church in Memphis

on June 15, 1957 and had a love affair that lasted 58 years until Tom’s passing in 2015.

Soon after they were married, Gloria gave birth to her first of four sons. They lived in

Marion and Tyronza, Arkansas before moving to Jackson in 1967. Gloria focused most

of her time raising her four children but did have a professional career as well. She

worked as the administrative assistant for the ministry Young Life of Jackson. Later, she

helped open the Merrill Lynch branch office in downtown Jackson. As office manager,

Gloria worked with customers and made sure their stock transactions on Wall Street

were executed correctly. She worked at Merrill for nearly 20 years until her retirement in

2000.

Gloria couldn’t sit still for long and loved to be around people. Her friends meant the

world to her and she looked forward to Friday lunches with the girls.

As a lifelong Methodist, Gloria was faithful in her spiritual walk and was an example to

those around her. She was a member of Northside Methodist and for many years

volunteered in the church office on Fridays.

Gloria was a wonderful hostess and enjoyed having friends and family gather for meals

and fellowship. She loved to cook and was known for many of her delicious recipes.

She, along with two dear friends, even formed a catering company called Creative

Caterers. They catered hundreds of weddings and events large and small in Jackson for

many years.

Gardening and having a beautiful yard were Gloria’s favorite pastimes. She loved to

spend her days working in the yard and making her home lovely. She had house plants

that were over 45 years old and could nurse even the sickest plant back to health.

After losing her beloved Tom, she moved to Elmcroft Assisted Living and quickly found

a new home there and became a vibrant part of the community. She was even selected

as Ambassador and helped give tours.

Gloria lived her life to the fullest, always seeking meaningful relationships with those

around her. She died in peace knowing that she was surrounded by her friends and

family who loved her dearly.

The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Elmcroft for the love and care

Gloria received while there. Also a special thanks to Lula Phillips, who cared for her in

such a meaningful way when the needed it the most.

Services for Gloria will take place at Northside Methodist Church in Jackson. Visitation

will begin at 10am. The funeral service will follow at noon. Family and friends are invited

to a reception beginning at 2pm at the McCarter homeplace.