Gloria J. McCary

Gloria J. McCary

Gloria J. McCary passed into the spirit world on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the age of 81 in Hospice at home, with her husband by her side. She is survived by her beloved husband of 40 years, Roger A. Finzel. Her son, by another marriage, Connor McCary preceded her in death, as did her mother, Beatrice Haller.

She grew up in Altoona, PA until age 11, when her family moved to Miami, Florida. She was awarded a scholarship to the University of Miami. Along the way she worked as a part-time secretary and police dispatcher.

She moved to Albuquerque with her husband, Jim Javins, where both obtained Masters Degrees at UNM while working as elementary school teachers at Queen of Heaven Catholic school. When her husband died from a window breaking and falling on them at a restaurant, Gloria went to work as a State Probation officer. She married Mr. McCary, had Connor McCary and expanded her lifelong love of horses. She was an equestrian excelling in hunter jumper, dressage, and western. She owned a horse farm and bred paint horses. Gloria trailered her horses herself and competed throughout the southwest. She also raised a variety of dogs and bred hybrid wolves. She was an animal lover and rescued any animal in need. She was on the Board of Project Coyote advocating for coexistence with them.

Fulfilling her interest in criminal law, she sold the horse farm to pay for law school. After Law school she went to work as an assistant public defender in Albuquerque. With her vast experience as a probation officer, she immediately started defending felony cases. She promptly won 8 acquittals in a row. Unfortunately, the case load (as with other public defenders) kept climbing regardless of her time in trials. As such she could not fulfill her oath to properly represent her clients, so she resigned.

She was hired by the District Attorney's office in Albuquerque where she prosecuted within the ethics of her oath, dismissing, plea bargaining or convicting at trial as the evidence warranted. Because of her experience and ability, she even successfully prosecuted a case with 3 days preparation when the assigned attorney took ill. Thereafter she expanded her skills as an attorney by prosecuting cases in Santa Fe and Las Cruces. She eventually became a Deputy District attorney in Socorro, New Mexico. When other District attorney's offices had conflicts in prosecuting first degree cases, they farmed them out to Socorro and Gloria with D.A. Clint Wellborn prosecuted cases throughout New Mexico.

When the commute became too much, Gloria resigned and was later hired as a State Public Defender in Albuquerque assigned to Major Crimes. With others in that unit, she defended first degree cases all over the state when smaller public defender offices needed help.

Without bravado or bragging she welcomed younger attorneys to her cases. She was a consummate professional, brilliant trial attorney and a mentor to new attorneys. Throughout her career she tried and defended more cases (200 trials) in more jurisdictions than most attorneys ever see.

For all but the last few years she and her husband, Roger Finzel, enjoyed riding their horses along the ditches and in the Bosque in Las Lunas and Corrales. She is surely now once again, enjoying rides with her horses, (especially Bart) dogs and wolves at her side. She is terribly missed.

A memorial is being considered. Please visit directfuneralservicesabq.com to leave a condolence for the family. Arrangements by Direct Funeral Services, 2919 4th St. NW. ABQ. 505-343-8008