Gloria Louise Van Buskirk

Gloria Louise (née Gumpper) Van Buskirk was born 11 December 1925, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and passed away peacefully at home on 18 October 2025, less than two months before her 100th birthday. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Florenz F. Gumpper (13 August 1893 – 31 December 1945) and Ruth H. (née Reehling) Gumpper (27 August 1898 – 25 December 1989). She was predeceased by both her sisters – Jeanne Gumpper Ferguson (16 December 1922 – 16 April 2018) and Ruth Ann Gumpper (1924 – 1954). She is remembered as a wonderful, devoted, and loving Wife, Mother, Mother-in-Law, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother, and is greatly missed.
Gloria is survived by her son Dennis and his wife Laurie, and her daughter Debbi and her husband Doug. Grandchildren include Dennis' two daughters Kelley and Michelle, and Debbi's two sons James and Steve (who tragically passed away in 2016). Great Grandchildren include Kelley's son Zachary and James' son Tommy and daughters Arya, Alyza, and Adalyn.
Gloria grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and graduated from South Side High School in 1943. She was known by her nickname "Pooch" given to her by her father. She was the Head Drum Majorette at South Side and was also in the Meteorites and Girls Athletic Association. She met the love of her life, Jim Van Buskirk, while in the eighth grade. He was a master trumpet player and earned the title of "Best Boy Musician" while at South Side High School. They both graduated from South Side in 1943. Jim was the only boy she ever dated, and they married on 6 January 1944. Immediately following their marriage, Jim joined the Navy and served as a SeaBee Constructionman in the South Pacific, operating heavy equipment and building landing fields in the Philippines during World War II. While Jim was in the South Pacific, Gloria worked doing quality assurance at a Fort Wayne defense plant involved in the manufacture of aircraft instrument panels. When Jim came home, they began their family. Their son Dennis Van Buskirk was born in 1947, and later followed his father's footsteps into the Navy, where he served as a career Surface Warfare Officer, commanding two ships and a Destroyer Squadron, among other tours. His sister Debbi (née Van Buskirk) Brooks was born in 1951, and had a career as a professional photographer, including as a senior food photographer for Kraft foods, and later owning her own studio with her husband.
Gloria and Jim lived in Fort Wayne until 1962, when Jim's work moved them to Madison, Wisconsin. They lived there until 1966 when they moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin and opened a steak restaurant which they operated for many years until retiring. They very much loved taking their cabin cruiser out on Green Bay and Lake Michigan and visiting different cities on both sides of the lake. Gloria also loved visiting her Sister-in-Law Patricia Virts. Patty was Jim's younger sister, and she and Gloria were lifelong friends until Patty's death in 2015. Jim passed away unexpectedly in August 1990, but Gloria remained in Green Bay, keeping herself busy with volunteer work that included being a barista in the coffee shop at Bellin Hospital. She often travelled to Chicago to see Debbi's family, Abilene to visit her sister Jeanne Ferguson, and Virginia to see Dennis and Laurie. She left Green Bay in January of 2020, and moved into an independent living complex in Lincolnwood, Illinois, to be close to her daughter Debbi. She remained there until July of 2025, when she moved in with her daughter and son-in-law as her health began to fail.