Gladys Giarratano (1929 – 2021)
Gladys Giarratano of Devon, PA, loving and devoted mother and friend to all whose lives she touched, passed away in her sleep after a brief battle with pneumonia on Sunday, March 28, 2021 at Floral Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Yardley, PA. She was 91 years old.
Glady was born on July 16, 1929 to the late Emerald and Mareta (Brock) Peterson. Raised on a dairy farm in Marshalltown, IA, Glady and her identical twin sister Millie used to play pranks on their older sister Ellen and younger brother Bob. One of her favorite pastimes throughout life was reminiscing about growing up on the farm with all their beloved animals, especially her pony Flossy and their border collie Buster, who Glady always fondly recalled would help her father round up the cows.
Glady attended the University of Iowa, where she earned her education degree and became a home economics teacher. There she also met her dashing husband Nino, a recently-returned decorated Navy Lieutenant who piloted over 25 combat missions in the Pacific Theater during WWII. After getting married, they moved to the New York City suburbs before eventually relocating and settling in Devon, PA.
First and foremost, Glady was a devoted wife and mother who excelled at making a warm and happy home life for Nino and their four children. With dozens of siblings and cousins spread across the country, Glady always made family a priority, and many of the family’s most cherished memories involve cross-country treks for boisterous gatherings of many branches of the family tree at once. Along with horseback riding, she thoroughly enjoyed swimming and skiing. She and Nino also traveled extensively prior to his passing in 1996.
In her later years, Glady proudly fulfilled her role as matriarch, always looking forward to Thursday night dinners with her kids and grandkids. In her leisure time, she enjoyed shopping and antiquing, thumbing through cookbooks and magazines, and of course, the QVC channel. While she admittedly never enjoyed housework, she absolutely loved to cook and sew – and her homemade pies (with crusts made from scratch) were legendary. She loved all jewelry, but pearls were her favorite. Most of all, she loved her family, and she will be dearly missed and forever in their hearts.
She is survived by her four loving children: Michael (& Yoko), Toni (& Robert), Jennifer (& Irv), and Peter (& Michele); her eight wonderful grandchildren: Kirsten, Andrew, Laurie, Matthew, Alexander, Kevin, Benjamin, and Jacob; her seven adorable great-grandchildren: Alana, Shea, Tyler, Logan, Cameron, Lia, and Dylan; her brother Bob; and many adored in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
Although she struggled with Alzheimer’s in her final years, she never lost her spark for life – and the pure joy she took in spending time with her family.
Donations in Glady’s honor can be made by clicking the link below. Please remember to include your name so we can thank you!