Greta Glugoski

1935 - 2025

Greta Glugoski
04/08/1935 - 11/15/2025
Born Greta Gloriela Young de Adames in the San Francisco neighborhood of Panama City, Panama to Enrique Young and Valentina Adames, she was the youngest of five children and only girl. From early on, she fought to be treated equally as her brothers. Despite 1950's Latin American gender norms and family protests, Greta lobbied to attend university in the US like her brothers. She graduated from Ohio University in social work, earning her Masters at Boston University and Doctorate at USF. After Boston she intended to return to Panama to help the needy. Traditional gender roles resulted in her father's ultimatum that she live at home as a single female or return to the US. She bought time by moving to Rio De Janiero to perfect her Portuguese and follow her passion for Bossa Nova music. While in Brasil, she received a job offer in San Francisco, CA. She would reside in San Francisco, after all, just not the one she had envisioned. Her first job was in the Anti-Poverty Movement, in the Mission District. She was active in the Mission Neighborhood Health Center, Los Portales and other social work services. Soon thereafter, she began teaching Social Work and Gerontology at San Francisco State for 30 years. In the mid-80's she accepted a position at the SF Housing Authority, relocating low-income senior citizens in unsafe housing to better living conditions in the Rosa Parks Complex. Years later, she had the honor of meeting the Civil Rights Leader when Rosa Parks spoke at SFSU. Greta served on boards and organizations: ARC, NASW, LANSCA and Women's Consular Corp to welcome consulates to SF because she was multi-lingual. She served as Panamanian Consul to the US. She loved the 49ers and making fried chicken on Super Bowl Sunday. In her early SF days, she coached a team of special needs adults to a bowling league championship. That trophy was amongst her prized possessions. She married James Glugoski in SF in 1966. They were set up to meet other people at the Swedish Cultural Center, but snuck away downstairs to Café Du Nord and the rest is history. The couple moved to Saint Cecilia's parish to raise their family. She is survived by two children, who she describes as her greatest accomplishments: Greta (Bill Sharp) and John "Tillo" (Sarah Minkus). She is "abuela" to Charles, Alexandra and Ethan. In 2010 she was diagnosed with dementia, a disease she bravely fought for 15 years until the battle ended on November 15, 2025.