Gloria Wynn Weinbaum was born in Dallas, Texas on February 23, 1926 and died in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan, Texas at the age of 79 on October 16, 2005.
Gloria graduated from The Radford School for Girls in El Paso, Texas in 1943. She attended nursing school at Hermann Hospital in Houston. She served as a WAVE in the Navy during the Korean War and earned the rank of Air Controller First Class. She worked in the legal department for King, Sharfstein and Rienstra and then in the legal department for Sun Oil.
After marrying Charlie in 1952 and starting a family, she became a busy civic-minded leader as well as volunteer. She has served as president of the following organizations, including the Sallie Curtis P. T. A., where a tree is planted in her honor, the Mary Howell Garden Club, and the Delphian Society, The National Counsel of Jewish Women and the Sisterhood Temple Emanuel, and Own A Book Club. She also created a book club for the neighborhood to keep the children busy and entertained during the summer while school was out. Her passion for books and reading led her to collect a very distinguished private library. She managed the concession stand for the West End Little League for two years while her four sons played baseball.
One year the “Fair Face Award” was given to her at the South Texas Fair by the Civic Women’s Association. In 1982 she and Charlie were recognized as the Aggie Parents of the Year for Texas A&M University. Gloria worked for Project Head Start where she tutored reading at Price Elementary School and the Beaumont State School in Beaumont. In addition to cooking and gardening, she was an avid reader and enjoyed collecting old rare books and doing book reviews for many civic organizations. One particular favorite was “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson before the ecological movement became popular.
She is survived by her husband, Charles Weinbaum Jr., of Beaumont; five children, Rebecca Hovland from Houston, Charles (Bo) Weinbaum of Beaumont, Daniel Weinbaum of Westborough, Massachusetts, Jonny Weinbaum of Houston and Bernard “Bern” Weinbaum of Port Arthur. She was Granny to her seven grandchildren, Amanda and Alisa Hovland of Houston, Elana, Kayley, and Julia of Westborough, Massachusetts and Parker and Payton Ann Weinbaum of Beaumont; and great grandson, Ethan Charles Czerwonky of Friendswood; her sister, Gwen Knowles of Nederland; brother, Deacon Dow Wynn, Jr., a long time resident and retired director of the Port of Port Arthur.
Funeral service will be 2:00 P. M. Thursday, October 20, 2005 at Broussard’s , 2000 McFaddin in Beaumont with burial to follow at Hebrew Rest Cemetery. A gathering of her family and friends will be from 5:00 P. M. until 7:00 P. M. Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at the mortuary and 12:30 P. M. Thursday, October 20, 2005 until time of service. Following the committal, a reception for the family will begin at 4 PM in the Swerdlow Social Hall of the Rosinger Center, 1120 Broadway at Forrest St., with a Minion or final prayer service beginning at 6 PM in Temple Emanuel.
In honor of her passion for books, the family requests that if anyone wishes to make a contribution in lieu of flowers they donate in her honor to the Tyrrell Historical Library Association, 695 Pearl, Beaumont, Texas 77701 or American Red Cross, 706 Magnolia, Beaumont, Texas 77701; or Charity of Choice
She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
