Obituary of Gloria Ornstein

Gloria Ornstein, age 94, died on March 29, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona at Peppi’s House-TMC Hospice. Gloria was born in Queens, New York, in December 1, 1929.

Gloria met her husband, Bernard Ornstein in Miami Beach, Florida in August 1952 and they soon married on December 21, 1952. They moved to Hollywood, Florida in 1959. They relocated to Jensen Beach, Florida in the 80’s where they lived till their final move to Tucson, Arizona in the early-1990’s to join their son, Jeff, and his two children in the hot, dry desert heat.

She was preceded in death by her parents Ida and Isadore, her dear husband Bernard in 2014, and her second child Douglas, in 2018. Her surviving children are her son Jeff, wife Cathy of Tucson, Arizona, and daughter Janet, husband Chuck Johnstone, of Cleveland, Georgia. She has four Grandchildren and four Great-Grandchildren.

Gloria worked in several hospitals as a unit secretary in the Emergency Room. She started working in Broward General Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, when there were no ER unit secretaries at the time. Gloria loved to tell us that she ran the Emergency Room, and the Doctors and Nurses would not do anything until they checked it with her.

Gloria and her husband Bernie enjoyed traveling to get out of the heat during the hot summer months of Tucson. They liked to travel to Colorado or Idaho and spend 3-4 months there to enjoy the cool mountain air. They did this for about 10 years before they decided it’s “time to slow down.”

Gloria would always tell their children that her best friend was each other, that is the only thing they needed and they lived that philosophy. They did everything together and always shared each other’s hearts. They were able to share 61 wonderful years together before he passed in 2014.

She lived at Trails West, a senior living community in Tucson where she and Bernie performed in the community’s little theatre. Each year around the holidays, the residents would put on a comedic/slap stick style of show where she loved being the star of the show with the best punch lines.

She enjoyed playing Rummikub and Mexican tiles, and played as much as she can. Her son Jeff and his wife spent may Saturday nights playing these games with them. She always had an advantage against her opponents playing Mexican tiles as she had an ability to look at the board and move more tiles around than most people to get to the one tile she wanted!

Gloria enjoyed writing short stories. Two of her stories were published in the local newspapers in Hollywood, Florida and Tucson, Arizona. She was an avid reader of James Patterson and other murder mystery writers and her son made sure that she always had a stock of their books from the Tucson Library. Gloria had a great long-term memory and could remember many events from her childhood which made so many of her life stories to family and friends so much fun to listen to. Gloria enjoyed BINGO and ran it at their residence mobile home park in Jensen Beach, Florida, and several living facilities in Tucson, Arizona

Gloria lived in Sierra Del Sol Assisted Living in Tucson since 2023, until she fell and broke her hip in January 2024.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to Sierra Del Sol and to Peppi’s House-TMC Hospice for the compassion and care given to their mother. She will be greatly missed.