On Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 5:28 p.m. our mother, Gloria Munguia died of complications from a minor accident. A woman of extraordinary love and compassion to anyone who crossed her path, dedicated mother and friend, she will be greatly missed.
Gloria Munguia y Quezada was born Dec. 6, 1942 in Mexico City, Mexico. She was raised by her Uncle Carlos, a General in the Mexican Army.
She attended the University of Mexico where she met her "Gringo" future husband, Charles Owen "Patrick" McNeill. When asked about her, he would say that "She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and she listened to my stories." Ironically, she confessed many years later she learned English by watching soap operas after coming to the United States. They were married in Mexico City, December 31, 1962.
Soon after, she bravely left her family and country behind and relocated to Clarion, Pa. Once there she took on the role of breadwinner, taking a job as a waitress to support her husband as he finished his degree. Gloria and Patrick had two children, Patricia and Kathleen. Shortly after her divorce from Patrick, Gloria discovered her true calling to be a nurse at Warren State Hospital and retired from there in 2002.
Along the way, Gloria married and divorced Norris Daugharthy, becoming an instant stepmom to six. In 1980, she adopted "Georgie," and she never stopped adding loved ones to her "family." Many who entered her life were immediately accepted.
Her life was characterized by unselfish love and generosity. She spent the last years of her life living with each of her daughters and enjoying time with her grandchildren. She insisted on being called "Mama" by all, and considered all around to be "her" children.
