Gloria Mattick

Gloria Franklin Mattick In Loving Memory of

Gloria Palacios Mattick

(January 20, 1943 - March 14, 2025)

Gloria Palacios Mattick was a loving wife, an amazing mother, a caring daughter, sister, and aunt, and a wonderful friend to many. A beloved chemistry teacher at Franklin Community High School, she was brilliant and funny. She spoke her mind while always being willing to listen to others' perspectives. Her smile was incredible, and she was a joy to be around.

Gloria was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, to Raul and Elvira Palacios, with her sister, Elvira Gutierrez, and brothers, Raul Palacios Jr., Pedro Palacios (deceased), and Gabriel Palacios. Her mother was a teacher and some of her siblings became teachers as well. She had many childhood friends and participated in dance competitions in her youth.

After graduating early from Martin High School in 1959, she attended Laredo Junior College for two years before continuing her studies at Texas Arts and Industries University in Kingsville, Texas. Her career commenced with a teaching position at Corpus Christi Junior High, where she taught math. When she was approached with an offer to teach chemistry at her alma mater, she returned home and taught there for three years. During the summer, Gloria pursued her Master's degree through a National Science Foundation grant at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and the World's Fair provided her with a memorable experience while there. The following summer, she received another grant to attend Indiana University, where she met her husband, Stephen, and completed her Master's degree.

When Franklin had a vacancy in chemistry, she accepted the position. She found teaching enjoyable and gratifying, and loved delighting students with flashy chemistry demonstrations. Her teaching methods, fun labs, and vibrant personality made her class a favorite among students who enjoyed her unique style and infectious laughter. She spent a summer doing chemical research at Eli Lilly, and during that short time, contributed to the development of Cephalosporin, an antibiotic compound used to protect organ transplant patients from bacterial infections to this day. Gloria's contributions were recognized by including her name in the patent. Lilly wanted her full-time, but Gloria's love was teaching. She returned to Franklin where she taught more than 35 years, inspiring numerous students to pursue careers in science and medicine. She was nominated to be the "Teacher in Space" and honored with Arvin's Teacher of the Year Award. She taught a few courses at Franklin College. After retirement from FCHS, she was later asked to come back to teach one more year and did so successfully. Beyond teaching, Gloria played a key role in the family's rental home business.

Gloria was bilingual, which proved helpful during her adventurous travels to Spain, Mexico, and other countries, and on cruises and international class trips she and Steve chaperoned. She loved visiting and playing dominoes at annual family reunions in Port Aransas, Texas, and always got a thrill from casino trips and scratch-off lottery tickets. Gloria was a member of several close friend groups and loved joining them for lunch. She painted lovely floral designs on clothing and bags and enjoyed giving them away. She was always up for an outing and had a blast attending flea markets and antique shows with Steve and Anthony.

Despite facing the challenges of breast cancer, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson's disease, Gloria always maintained an inspiring attitude and never complained.

Gloria is survived by her husband of almost 58 years, Stephen, their son, Anthony, a sister, Elvira, and brothers, Raul Palacios, Jr., and Gabriel Palacios, as well as numerous in-laws, nephews, and nieces. We will miss her dearly.

Visitation for family and friends will be on Thursday, March 27th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Flinn and Maguire Funeral Home, 2898 North Morton Street, (U.S. 31 North) in Franklin, Indiana.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to the Franklin Community High School Science Department Fund, 2600 Cumberland Drive, Franklin, Indiana 46131 or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research at michaeljfox.org.

Expressions of caring and kindness may be received to the family at www.flinnmaguire.net.