Gloria Reid

Gloria Eugenia Reid passed away peacefully on September 14, leaving behind a profound legacy of love, faith, and global impact. A Memorial Service to honor her life and legacy will occur at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at The Heartland Church, 4020 Nazarene Drive, Carrollton, TX. Gloria was born in Hodge, Louisiana on October 21,1942. As a young girl, she moved with her family to Oklahoma. Gloria was the oldest child of young parents. From an early age, she developed a deep sense of responsibility and a relentless work ethic, spending much of her childhood helping to raise her three brothers and two sisters. Despite her responsibilities at home, she excelled in school and possessed a lifelong love for learning. Though family relationships were often complex and difficult throughout her life, Gloria's capacity for grace was boundless. After moving to Texas, she faced difficult years in her first marriage, but her resilience never wavered as she dedicated herself to raising her three sons: Mark, Todd, and Benjamin. Life changed beautifully when she met and married the love of her life, Mike Reid. Gloria and Mike were inseparable, sharing a life full of laughter, devotion, and adventure. She was his dedicated golfing companion and constant playmate until his passing. In 1990, Gloria began a fulfilling career as a flight attendant for American Airlines; a role that perfectly blended her passion for adventure with her massive heart for service. She traveled the world, making lifelong friends wherever she landed. Notably, she served as an airline ambassador, escorting children from foreign countries to the United States to receive life-saving medical care. During her travels, Gloria found a special place in her heart for the people of Africa. Over the course of many trips, she personally sponsored an incredible number of fresh-water wells across the continent and funded numerous missionaries to carry on the work close to her heart. Traveling the world, Gloria didn't just see the sights - she sought out people in need. Gloria was deeply proud of her work helping orphans in Guatemala. What began as merely assisting a fellow airline employee to collect holiday gifts one year, quickly grew into a massive personal mission, and the very next year, Gloria took over the project completely. Driven by her sheer determination and compassion, she successfully gathered an entire Boeing 747 airplane's worth of toys and gifts, proudly flying down to hand-deliver them to the children herself. Back home in Texas, Gloria's faith was the cornerstone of her life. She found a deeply special church family at Heartland Church, where she loved welcoming new members, participating in the annual Christmas giveaway, and engaging with her Connect Group. She also regularly brought joy to local assisted living facilities by singing to the residents and hosting community Bible studies. In her later years, Gloria founded a transformative Women's Prison Ministry, counseling women behind bars, helping them transition to life on the outside, and encouraging them to participate in a specialized Braille translation program for the visually impaired. She inspired all of "her girls" to become the best versions of themselves. Gloria never lost her passion for exploration, and her adventurous spirit was perfectly matched by her son, Todd, with whom she shared an extraordinarily close bond. One of Todd's favorite memories captures her spirit perfectly: when he asked if she wanted to go for a ride on his Harley-Davidson, Gloria had a helmet on and had climbed up on the seat before he could even finish the sentence. While the paths of her family life walked through seasons of distance, the door to her heart was always open. Gloria was a grandmother to seven grandchildren, and while distance and circumstance kept many apart, her grandchildren held a very special place in her heart. In the final chapter of her life, Gloria was blessed with a beautiful friendship in Barbara. The two became absolute peas in a pod - watching movies, going to church, and sharing daily life together. When illness fell, Barbara was an incredible pillar of support and care; a gift of devotion for which Todd and the family are eternally grateful. Gloria was a woman of rare strength, boundless kindness, and a cheery outlook that no circumstance could dim. She carried her own special sunshine wherever she went, and the world is vastly brighter for the time she spent in it. In lieu of flowers, Gloria's wish was to continue her lifelong commitment to lifting up the less fortunate. The family requests that memorial donations be made in her honor to Missionary Ventures to carry on her legacy of global ministry. In order to contribute: By check: Missionary Ventures 1017 Maitland Center Commons Blvd Maitland, FL 32751 mvi.org/donate

Gloria Reid

October 21, 1942 - September 14, 2026