Gloria Cacioppo

Gloria Cacioppo, who family said had a heart of gold and a continuing positive attitude that affected both the way she lived and others around her, died October 1, 2022, at the age of 96.

Gloria Smedley was born January 3, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised by her grandparents, Elin and Oscar, in the basement of an apartment building in Queens, New York. Gloria’s mother, Esther (Bloom) Smedley, died in childbirth, and her father left shortly thereafter. Gloria never complained, always saying how lucky she felt to have her grandparents and all the blessings in her life. She particularly loved her grandfather, Oscar.

Gloria met her beloved husband, George Cacioppo, at Grand View Dairy in 1947; she did secretarial work, and he delivered milk and later became a foreman. George courted Gloria with jokes, and they married in April 1948. The couple had three children, George, Leora and Robert. Gloria was her husband’s best friend and took care of him until the day he died. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 93.

After raising her three children, Gloria worked at New York-based children’s clothing company Healthtex for many years where she did bookkeeping and accounting work. She often brought her grandchildren clothes from the company.

She laughed when she told the story of seeing movie star Cary Grant (whom she loved) by her workplace in the city and asking for his autograph; he refused.

Gloria was a two-time cancer survivor. While living in New York, she attended concerts by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett and enjoyed spending time with relatives and friends. She was very crafty and creative, making Afghan blankets, scarves and other gifts for her friends and family. She taught her granddaughter Jeanine to knit, and often sewed, hemmed or fixed clothing or other items for anyone who needed help.

In 1994, George and Gloria left their cherished apartment in Queens and moved to Denver to be near their daughter, Leora, and her family. Gloria lived in the Windsor Gardens community in Denver for 20 years, where she volunteered in the library to be around her cherished books. She also took a calligraphy class and attended Catholic services every week. She spent Saturdays with her granddaughter Katie; they went to lunch, shopped at Target and often played the card game Skip-Bo.

She moved to the Lincoln Meadows senior community in Parker, Colorado, in 2018 to be closer to her family; she always said how lucky she felt because she loved her apartment. Her daughter, Leora, always took care of her and the two were very close.

Gloria treasured visits from her family and friends, including her dear friend Dennis; loved listening to live music, watching Hallmark Channel movies and Jeopardy!; and loved any and all dessert—even ones she called “bad ones,” when the dessert didn’t taste very good.­­­­­­­ She spent hours a day reading up until shortly before her death and particularly enjoyed books by Nicholas Sparks. Gloria had a quick wit and an easy laugh and loved joking with her son-in-law Charlie.

Her happy disposition, positive attitude, belief in God and her thoughtfulness and caring for others was prevalent until her dying day. Despite any challenges in her life, she was known to continually say, “God was so good to me.”

Gloria is survived by her children, George, Leora and Robert; son-in-law Charlie; daughters-in-law Shelagh and Carrie; grandchildren Jeanine, Charlie, Kathryn (Katie), Matthew and Julia; and great-grandchildren Joshua, Hannah and Gabrielle.

A memorial service mass for Gloria will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 11, at Horan and McConaty in Centennial (5303 E. County Line Rd, Centennial, CO 80122); friends and family are welcome. Donations can be made in her name to the American Heart Association ( heart.org ).