Gloria E. Long

1921 - 2025

Gloria E. Long

November 11, 1921 - November 29, 2025

State College, Pennsylvania - Gloria E. Long, a resident of The Village at Penn State, died on November 29, 2025. She was 104 years old. Gloria was born, the sixth of eight children, to Ortenzio and Maria (Bevacqua) Grandinetti in Johnstown, PA, on November 11, 1921. She graduated from Johnstown High School in 1942 and attended night school in interior decorating. During World War II she worked for Sylvania and Glosser Brothers department store. On May 24, 1946, she married I. J. Long soon after he returned from service in the ETO. They became the parents of three children, Carol Ann, James, and Daniel.

Gloria was Carol's Girl Scout Troop Leader. In 1959, she was presented an award for her set designs for a Girl Scout pageant entitled, "The Unbuilt City." The event was staged in the War Memorial Arena in Johnstown. Nearly 2000 Scouts and Brownies took part. Subsequently, she held a workshop for the Girl Scout Jamboree. Gloria also volunteered at the Johnstown Community Art Center. After her husband retired in 1982, for 20 years she served as the Coordinator of Volunteers and the window decorator for St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store in Johnstown. In 2001 she received the Senior Spirit of Cambria County award for her artistry and in 2003 the Top Hat award from the St. Vincent DePaul Society. When she moved to Maryland in 2003, she continued her volunteer work at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Middletown, serving as the Good Samaritan Coordinator. And her charity also extended to her family as she treated us each year to a weekend reunion at Seven Springs, times we all remember fondly.

Gloria moved to The Village at Penn State in 2014 and became involved in OLLI at Penn State, both as a class participant and as an instructor of Mexican Train Dominoes, a game she loved and rarely lost. At The Village she also taught cursive writing to elementary school students. There she created a monthly themed showcase with her friend, Ann, worked at the in-house store, and helped with estate sales. She participated in exercise classes, Mexican Train Dominoes games, and poetry class while enjoying a wide variety of activities including history lectures, musical performances, movies, and of course, Penn State football games at which her enthusiasm when the games were on tv was occasionally quelled by others. And she enjoyed the summer musical performances at South Hills, events at The Arboretum at Penn State, and the Stocking Stuffer at the Centre Furnace Mansion. Volunteering at the Centre County Historical Society, she also helped her friend, Betsy, with collection care.

In addition to her husband who died in 2001, she was preceded in death by her parents, three older brothers, Robert, Harry, and Leo and their spouses; two older sisters, Rose Asti and Victoria Scullin and their spouses; a younger sister, Micki Freeman; and one niece and three nephews. She is survived by a younger sister, Mayme Fisher of Monroeville, PA.

Gloria is survived by her children; CarolAnn and Steven Gentry of State College, PA; James and Nancy Long of Rotonda West, FL; Daniel and Susan Long of Millsboro, DE; and grandchildren, James II and Rebecca Long of Chrystal Lake, IL, Daniel Jr. and Tamryn Long of Lauren, MD; and David and Tabatha Confessore of Virginia Beach, and their children, Jayden and Mason.

In lieu of flowers please have a Mass said in Gloria's memory or make a donation to one of the following: St Vincent De Paul Society in Johnstown, PA; OLLI at Penn State; The Centre County Historical Society; or The Village at Penn State, the last three having played important roles in her life while she was resident of Centre County.

Gloria's family thanks The Village at Penn State Atrium staff for caring for Gloria in her final years and all of The Village staff for the services provided to her over the past years. Arrangements for her interment have been made with Koch Funeral Home. At Gloria's request there will no viewing. Internment services are reserved for family members at Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown where Gloria will join I J. At a future time, a Celebration of Gloria's life will be held.