Gloria Doerr

Gloria Doerr, 93

Grafton - Gloria Doerr, of Grafton, died peacefully after a brief battle with lymphoma, surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, September 23 at the home of her son John and daughter-in-law Christine in Wellesley, MA.

Her beloved husband of 27 years, F. Joseph Doerr died in 1973.

Gloria leaves behind a legacy of love with her six children and their families which include, 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren: Jean Sutton, husband Jeff Sutton, of Warwick, RI, grandchildren Elizabeth and Sarah, and great grandchildren, Madeline and Norah; John Doerr, wife Christine Mirabile, of Wellesley, MA, grandchild John Michael, wife Savanah, great grandchildren Deirdre and Rosalie, grandchild Andrew, wife Brianna, great grandchild, Calvin; Judi Riggieri, husband Albert Riggieri, of Kennebunkport, ME, grandchild F. Joseph, wife Liz, great grandchildren C J and Samantha, grandchild Alison, husband Jackson, great grandchildren, Rachel and Leo, grandchild Matthew, wife Lauren; Jennifer O'Brien, husband Robert O'Brien, of Warwick, RI, grandchild Elise, husband Jason, great grandchild Katie, grandchild Emily, husband Patrick, great grandchildren, Caroline and Penelope; Jodi Levia and Randy Cardin of Grafton, MA, grandchild Amanda, husband Robert, great grandchildren James, Lily, Nicholas, Mallory and Garrett, grandchild Ryan and grandchild Cheyenne; James Doerr, wife Jessica Doerr, of Hayward, CA, grandchildren Joseph and Sara.

She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews who were so important and supportive in her life, especially her niece Joanne Corcoran.

She was predeceased by her siblings; Marion Campanelli, Antoinette Morgo, Matthew Bisceglia, Anthony Bisceglia, Michael Bisceglia, Dorothy Downer, Yolanda Dagnello, James Bisceglia, KIA in WWII, Albert Bisceglia, Louis Bisceglia, Pasquale "Pat" Bisceglia, Sam Bonanno, and Minnie Pasquale.

Gloria was born and raised in Worcester, daughter of the late Pasquale and Theresa (Pacillo) Bisceglia.

At the tender age of 14, Gloria had to leave school which she loved, to work in the family restaurant the Wonder Bar in Worcester where she worked until she married. After her husband's death in 1973, she went back to the restaurant and remained a fixture there until she "retired" at 87. Her customers became her friends as did almost everyone who met her. Perhaps because she never had the chance to continue her schooling, Gloria was a strong proponent of education and pushed her family to be the best they could in school.

Gloria loved each one of her many grandchildren and great grandchildren and made them all feel special, remembering every birthday, anniversary, and special occasion. They could never wait to go visit Nana, hug and kiss her, eat a delicious meal (no one ever left hungry), and run around her large backyard. As her grandchildren grew and had children of their own, a new generation learned to stop and sit with Nana to hear stories of her childhood.

Gloria was "the mayor" of her Garden Street neighborhood. She had the ability to make people of all backgrounds, ages, and life situations feel accepted and welcomed. Her family was always amazed when she would introduce them to new neighbors who had already become her best friends. She had her Saturday movie nights, Thursday dinners, Wednesday teas, and Friday Happy Hours. And of course, she enjoyed playing Continental Gin with her friends and family, especially Tuesday nights with her daughters.

Gloria will be remembered as a strong woman who took on all that life threw at her. In the last five years, she beat lung cancer, survived a fall down a flight of stairs (with no broken bones) and outlasted all expectations in her last battle with cancer. She left a caring imprint on all who were fortunate to know her. Despite all her own struggles, Gloria always gave fully of herself to help anyone in need.

The family knows that all Gloria's relatives and friends (and there are many of you) want to pay tribute and say goodbye. The family wants that as well, as you have all been so very supportive throughout her life. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, religious services will be private. We hope sometime soon we can do an all-inclusive farewell with many hugs and much love.

A special thanks to Gloria's nurse, Lyrna Richmond, and all the staff at Good Shepherd Community Hospice, who were so caring and supportive throughout her final days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Good Shepherd Community Hospice, 90 Wells Ave, Newton Center, MA 02459, or online at

https://gscommunitycare.org/Donate. To share a memory or online condolences, please visit https://roneyfuneralhome.com/