Gloria Smith

Gloria “Gram” May (Pastell) Smith gained her wings on Monday evening, December 22, 2025, peacefully in her almost 97th year. Surrounded by love with cherished family and friends by her side. On her terms, by her rules, in her beloved home in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois.

Gloria May was born January 24th, 1929, at Kenosha Hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She was known fondly as “Gram” to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. Her life started during the Great Depression, which we believe shaped who she was as a person. Gram took in and cared for her treasured family that needed it, as well as anyone in need of a meal, a bed, or just some tender love and care. Gram graduated from Zion Benton Township High School in 1947 and was a proud ZBTHS alumnus. She married Jesse “Jess” Charles Hatcher in 1948. She had two children, Linda Lee Hatcher (Taylor) and the late John “Jack” Charles Hatcher, who were the light of her life and as essential to her as her beating heart.

Gram found her soulmate, Melvin Lawrence Smith of Guntown, Mississippi, while they were both working at Worwick. They were married on October 10, 1970, and lived happily together in an incredible marriage until his passing. Gram had a full professional career, spending the bulk of her time and retiring from Abbott Laboratories. Gram is the matriarch of our family, and family is everything to her; she instills that philosophy into us all.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda Lee Taylor of Winthrop Harbor, IL; her beloved grandchildren, Sandra Davis (Howard), Tracey Hatcher (Jeff Buttera), Timmy Taylor, Shera Smith (Charles), Scott Wales (Jennifer Helms), Laura Gergely (Bob), and Joshua Hatcher (Erica); great-grandchildren, Amanda Harris, Elizabeth Davis (Tom Korcal), Mathew Davis (Megan Price), Trista Pyle (Bryant), Illessia Hatcher, Abigail Smith, Charlie Smith, Joshua Hatcher, Taylor Gergely, and Logan Gergely; twelve great-great-grandchildren; her special nieces & nephews; and many, many cousins & friends. Gram is also survived by her “bonus daughter,” Ms. Linda Crane.

Special thanks & love to our amazing caregivers, whom we now call family: Bernadette, Rose, & Tracey.

Please help us in celebrating the beautiful life of a truly strong & amazing person.

Visitation will be held on Monday, December 29, 2025, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Congdon Funeral Home, 3012 Sheridan Rd., Zion, IL. A second visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., with a service to follow at 11:00 a.m., also at Congdon Funeral Home.