Gloria DeLeon Perez, age 75 of East Chicago passed away Friday, March 27, 2020 at her home. She was born on April 8, 1944 in Monterrey, Mexico to the late Rodolfo Perez and Anita Maciel de Perez.  As a resident of East Chicago for the past 60 years, she was a very active volunteer for local politics in her community. Gloria loved her family very much and cherished spending time with them. She was a great cook. If you spent any amount of time with her, you would probably catch her dancing and listening to her music. She was a free-spirited woman and will always be remembered for her famous menudo, her vibrant personality and her unwavering faith in God.

She is survived by her sons, Arthur (Patricia) DeLeon, Pete (Mary) DeLeon, Luis (Angie) DeLeon, Moses Mercado; daughters, Laura (Sam Kastriches) DeLeon, Yolanda Byrd, Miriam DeLeon; grandchildren, Richard, AJ, Jesus, Erika, Austin, Moses, Michael, Amanda, Elizabeth, Esmerelda, Mario, Jorge Luis, Julian, Jakub and Jenna; several great grandchildren; brothers, Eve and Gumaro; sisters, Yolanda, Ana and Laura; many other loving family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her son, Julian DeLeon; son-in-law, William Byrd; brothers, Rodolfo and Lorenzo; and sister, Blanca.

All services are private. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Olson Chapel, 5341 Central Ave., Portage. For more information, please call (219) 762-3013. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com