Gloria A. Clark August 31, 1941 – January 10, 2026

Gloria A. Clark, 84, of Portage, Indiana, reluctantly passed away on Saturday, January 10, 2026. She was born August 31, 1941, in Gary, Indiana, to the late Edward and Julia (Benedict) Dawson.

Gloria entered the world kicking and screaming, and determined from the very beginning to be noticed and heard. The middle child, she grew up chasing after her older brother "Ed" and quickly became "one of the boys." She was once banned from playing with the only girl who lived on her street after pushing her down. When asked why she did it, Gloria shrugged and said, "That's what the boys do when they play."

A proud "Eagle" and graduate of East Gary Edison, Class of 1959, Gloria showed her independence and artistic flair early. She played drums in the band, sewed her own clothes, painted portraits, sometimes dressed like a French painter in her front yard, and worked at the Dairy Queen, where she occasionally "served" her younger brother "Lenny" any mistake. High school was filled with memories with her best friends Claudette Hutchins and Bonita Flick, changing the oil in her dad's car while wearing overalls, and building the confidence that would define her life.

As a teenager she and her cousin Chick traveled the country with her parents and, then with her aunt and uncle, which developed a love for history and travel. A voracious reader, Gloria consumed book after book and occasionally said "I think I already read that one."

After graduation, Gloria worked in the mill and later for Marathon Oil in Chicago, but her heart led her to become a homemaker and mother to her four children, a role she embraced with fierce loyalty and love. She volunteered every year as a room mother, stood up for what she believed in, once protesting alongside her friend Ella Mae Karris, to keep a beloved school principal from being transferred to another school, and raised her children to speak their minds through their thoughts, words, and actions.

As her children grew, Gloria returned to the workforce and found her calling as a floral designer. After working in local flower shops and owning her own, she found a home at the Flower Cart in Chesterton. There, her arrangements were more than flowers, they were works of art that brought comfort, joy, and healing. She was proud to be part of a dedicated team and was deeply grateful to Steve and Raymond for the chance to do what she loved most - create.

A phrase that best defined Gloria was: "You can bend, but never break me - because it only makes me more determined to reach my goals."

That spirit carried her through surviving cancer and through ten years of dialysis. She never complained and never stopped living life to the fullest. She enjoyed working in her yard and garden with her son Chris, spending time with family at the river, and faithfully watching Notre Dame football, even though she usually fell asleep in the fourth quarter and asked "Who won?"

Her greatest joy, though, was her grandchildren, who lovingly called her "YaYa." She also adored her two cats, Lady Felicia and Mrs. McCarthy, whom she affectionately called "Fats", and looked forward to visits from her "adopted" daughter Laura Angotti.

Gloria is survived by her children, Julie Clark, Leonard Clark, Cathy (John) Pulley, and Christopher Clark; six grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; her brother, Louis Dawson; and many loving nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Julia Dawson, and her brother, Edward Dawson.

Gloria Clark lived with courage, creativity, humor, and grit. She bent when life demanded, but she never broke. She will be deeply missed by all those whose lives she touched and inspired.

Mass will take place January 30th, 2026, at 10:00 am at Nativity of Our Savior Catholic Church, 2949 Willowcreek Road, Portage. Visitation will be held from 9 am until the time of service at the church. There will be a luncheon to follow Mass. For more information, please call (219) 762-3013. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com.