Obituary of Gloria H. Currie

Gloria Mae Hanby Currie, age 90, of Chester, PA, formerly of Wilmington, DE, died Monday, April 11, 2016 at Kindred Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. Gloria graduated from Delaware Hospital School of Nursing in 1946 and practiced nursing in the Wilmington, DE area until retiring in 1991. She was married in 1951 and enjoyed 44 loving years with her late husband Archie Currie who passed away in 1995. Gloria was an accomplished pianist and musician and loved listening music especially classical music. She also enjoyed reading good novels. Gloria especially enjoyed family gatherings and meals and was famous for making a family favorite dish called mince. She loved a good cheeseburger, hotdog, or a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry. She loved visiting the Delaware beach and simply sitting on the beach and listening to the ocean waves. Gloria and her late husband Archie were avid sports fans. They loved tailgating at the University of Delaware Stadium and watching the "Fighting Blue Hens" football team, a tradition she carried on later in life with her children and her grandchildren. She also enjoyed watching college basketball, especially Duke University, the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and watching golf on tv. Gloria kept current in her later years and owned an a cell phone and IPAD where she could reach out and keep in touch. She emailed her family and friends under the handle of "momcurrie". She had many apps and love to play puzzles, card games and follow the news and current events. Gloria also liked visiting the local casinos and playing the slot machines and was "lucky"! She also was fondly called Babs by some of her friends and family a nickname she inherited later in life. Gloria was a member of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Wilmington DE. She was generous to the charity Sunday Breakfast Mission, Wilmington, DE. Survivors: Daughters: Leslie C. (Robert) Beck, Judith C. (Michael) Grabowski, and Kimberly S. Currie (Robert) Hockenbrock Grandchildren: Nicole Cebula (Brook), Daniel Beck (James), Matthew Beck, Victoria Quinones (Kevin), Julianne Beck, Hanna Grabowski, Haley Hockenbrock, Nicholas Hockenbrock and Andrew Hockenbrock Great Grandson: Lucas Quinones Funeral Service: Friday at 12:30pm at the Minshall Shropshire-Bleyler Funeral Home, Middletown (Rte. #352) & Knowlton Rds., Middletown Twp., Media, PA 19063 Visitation: Friday after 11:00am at the funeral Interment: At a later date at Delaware Veterans Cemetery Memorial Contributions to: Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 N. Poplar Street, Wilmington DE, 19801 A Tribute to Babs Delaware Memorial Veterans Cemetery April 20th, 2016 by Rob Beck, a son Hi Mom……Hi Rob….I see you Rob….I see you mom… Gloria Mae moved to the 10th floor in Chestnut Ridge, Chester PA on May 1, 2013 from the Cliff House Condo in Wilmington. Visiting mom now went from 25 minutes to 7 minutes and I now passed her on my commute home almost every evening. I would call her on my cell on my long commute and we would talk about many things. She would ask, “how is your commute?, how was work?, are you tired?, and was always interested in what was happening in my life. I in turn would always ask how she was doing and that started our conversations. The conversations encompassed everything from world events, the grandchildren, Leslie, TV shows or sports events. She particularly liked the Philadelphia Teams (Phillies and Eagles) college basketball(Duke), and golf (Phil Mickelson). When I approached her apartment I would tell her to look out the window (which over the years I could pick out from my car) and she would waive to me and say “I see you Rob”. I first met Mrs. Currie (initially I was mispronouncing Like Madame Curie) in 1978 after starting to date her daughter, Leslie. The Currie household consisted Archie, Gloria, and Leslie’s two sisters, Judith (Judy) and Kim. Mom-mom and Nana were frequent visitors. I will never forget the first dinner at 1208 Wilson Road with the family. I was invited for a large pot roast. Approaching the square table in the dining room Leslie’s mom directed the seating arrangements; Leslie you sit here, Judith you sit there and Kim you sit here, each at a corner as not to sit next to the other. Mrs. Currie controlled the seating, how the meat was cooked (very well done.. shoe leather) and Archie did the carving ( I think he used a hack saw!) The meal was served. The plates were portioned in the kitchen and arrived restaurant style. Growing up in a Jewish home this was a foreign concept as our meals were always served family style. Nana called me Ralph, the girls argued and the meat was tough and thankfully the portions small. It was a great dinner! Dining with Gloria was an adventure. Leslie would say “mom only eats Chicken, Chicken, crab cakes, shrimp”! She also loved Archie’s well-done Cheeseburgers on the weber grill (which became my specialty), well done hotdogs, scrambled eggs but only with ketchup, coffee with skim milk, Southern Comfort and more recently Harvey’s Bristol Cream. She would not eat lobster, watermelon, or whipped cream. She was famous for making Cole slaw for thanksgiving, a Scottish dish called mince and infamous for her 60’s stay a bed stew, porcupine balls and what her daughters simply called peach turds. I came to learn over the years that Mrs. Currie was a Princess and was doted over as an only child which her Archie continued. He called her Mae of Gloria Mae when angry at her, however, the princess always prevailed. She was very particular on how she looked (hair, lipstick, makeup and nails) and always was dressed for the occasion. When Leslie and I got engaged, I remember visiting Archie and asking for Leslie’s hand and being fully accepted by my new Mom and Dad. They provided support over the years during our children’s births, baby sitting, helping with yard work, painting, and getting our first house into shape. Archie and Gloria moved to Florida in 1990 and we had many good times visiting the parents until Archie’s sudden passing in 1995. Gloria stayed for a while then moved into our house for 1 year until she moved back to Delaware and then to Chestnut Ridge. When my mom passed in 2009 she was the last surviving parent and I asked her to be there for me and we hugged and she promised she would. She was not perfect. She had and addiction to the “white stuff” yes the “white stuff”. Gloria had chronic lung issues from working as a nurse. Leslie was adamant that the “white stuff” was bad for her lungs and implored her to kick the habit.….”Mom stop using baby powder! When she visited it was like a snow storm hit our house. Some habits are hard to kick and when Leslie and I visited her apartment in her last weeks, what was sitting on the sink?…Johnsons Baby Powder! Gloria was my second mom and for that I was very fortunate. Over the years we had many great moments together and I nicknamed her Babs. It just fit and I believe she liked it. In my mind it was a fun name and mom liked to have good time. She was very fortunate to live over 90 years and we celebrated he birthday in style last June on the “Oasis of the Seas”. She lived to see graduations, weddings, births, christenings, bnai mitzvahs, and celebrate many birthdays and holidays with her family. Mom was active up until the end and some of her favorite pastimes were to walk, play cards, watch TV, read books, go to the beach, tailgate, sit in the hot tub, talk on the phone, write notes and cards, read books, play games on the IPad and write emails under the handle of “momcurrie”. She especially loved her family and extended families through marriage, her grandchildren and the newest family member her great grandson Lucas. Good-Bye Gloria Mae Hanby Currie, aka Mae, Mom, grand mommy, g-mommy, momcurrie and of course Babs. Driving home from my work last week I started to call her then it hit me….When I passed her apartment I looked up and saw her waive at me….and I could hear her say “I see you Rob” and I said “I see you mom”… Thanks for being there, we will remember you.