Obituary of Gloria Irene Zingone

Gloria Irene Phinney Zingone

February 8^th, 1934 – July 16^th, 2019

Gloria Irene Zingone came into this world in the city of Portsmouth NH, a place she loved and eventually hoped to move back to at the end of her long life. She was the youngest of three children born to Earnest John Phinney and Victoria Irene Chemlesky. Just shy of age five, Gloria lost her mother to tuberculosis. She and her sister, Dede, were sent to live with her aunt in Vineland, NH while her brother, John, went to live with their father. It was not the easiest life, but growing their own food and churning their own butter and buttermilk from the farm gave Gloria a strong physical body which served her well throughout her years.

 

                As a child Gloria took solace from the world around her by listening to show tunes in an outbuilding near her aunt’s house. By the time she was a young girl Gloria was singing and acting in school plays, and competing in singing contests on early television’s Miss Video Venus and the Original Amateur Hour. A stunning beauty at age 17, Gloria became pregnant “out of wedlock.” She chose to give the child up for adoption. For the duration of her pregnancy she lived in a convent, hidden from public view, and worked day and night to earn her keep there by taking care of the elderly until the child was born.

 

                At age 18 Gloria worked as a gal Friday for John D Rockefeller. Part of her job was to go up, up, up the elevator to his office every morning to say hello to him because, he told her, she reminded him of when he was young. Gloria made extra money by modeling pantyhose for Hanes and clothes for Saks. She performed in various operas at New York’s Amato Opera House as well as in Madame Butterfly at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and had a part in an off- Broadway production of Oklahoma. Gloria once danced with the Rockettes!

 

                It was during her time in NY that Gloria met her husband, William, which launched her into motherhood, leaving her love of performing behind. With William she had six children; John Russel, Pamela Ann, Joseph Leo, Frank, Paula Suzanne and Manya.

 

                Gloria loved the sea. The family spent summers on Fire Island, then moved year round to a large Victorian home in Maine which was perched upon a bluff-the boundary to the Atlantic Ocean. She had an awesome sense of fun and adventure. During hurricanes, Gloria would bundle up her children and walk down to the beach to watch the wave crash way beyond the boundary of the shore. She had a natural talent for décor and loved to make things festive; birthday parties, holidays, special occasions. During summers she organized water balloon games for everyone in the neighborhood. During Gloria’s time in Maine she was re-untied with her 1^st son, James, who had become a young man.

 

                In 1977 Gloria left her house by the sea, and with her three youngest children moved to the island of Oahu for four years. It was in Hawaii that Gloria decided to go back to school to get her degree in business administration. In 1981 Gloria moved back to the mainland. She settled in Southampton, New York, taking a secretarial position in a real estate office.

 

                In 1986 Gloria moved to Charleston, SC with her 3^rd husband, Guy. Gloria made many new friends in Charleston and became a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority of which she was very proud. After her husband’s passing in 2011, Gloria chose to remain in Charleston with the love and support of her friends.

 

                If Gloria’s life had a theme it was to be near the ocean, to have many friends – new and old – to always find the bright side and reasons to sing and dance and laugh. Toward the end of her life the qualities Gloria cultivated in herself helped her tremendously as she suffered from illness. She continued to take interest in others and find reason to smile and laugh. The courage she found to face each day with positive attitude was heartening and inspiring to everyone around her.

 

                As beautiful as she was as a young woman, as a fun-loving friend, as a hard working mother, she was even more beautiful at the end of her life. Humbled as we all will be by approaching death, she shone like the sun teaching us that we don’t need a youthful appearance to be the most beautiful.

 

                Gloria is survived by six of her seven children; James, Pamela, Joseph, Frank, Paula and Manya. Her beloved son, Jonny, who passed away in 2014, and her mother Victoria are now re-united with Gloria in Heaven.

 

A funeral for Gloria will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 8th at that Star of The Sea Church in York Beach, Maine (207) 363-2111.

 

Please use either of the florists listed below for flowers to be delivered to Star of the Sea Church, 13 Church St, York Beach, Maine 03910. Flowers can begin arriving at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the service, Thursday, August 8th. 

 

York Flower Shop

207.363.5367

yorkflowershopmaine.com

 

Flowers by the Sea

207.361.4021

flowersbythesea.net

 

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