Obituaries

Gloria Contreras passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 27, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Gloria lived her life with humor, strength, curiosity, and a genuine love for people. A natural jokester with a warm and outgoing personality, she never met a stranger. Whether she was shopping, dining at a restaurant, traveling, or simply going about her day, Gloria loved striking up conversations with the people around her. She had a wonderful way of connecting with others, often turning a chance encounter with a stranger into a friendly conversation and a shared laugh.

As a devoted Navy wife and mother, Gloria traveled around the world alongside her husband, Jose, embracing the many adventures and challenges that came with military life. She was an incredibly strong and capable woman who raised and cared for their three children during the long stretches when Jose was away on sea duty. Through deployments, moves, and the demands of Navy life, Gloria created a loving home for her family wherever they happened to be.

Gloria was also an exceptional cook, and feeding people was one of the many ways she showed her love. She took great joy in preparing meals for family and friends, and some of the happiest memories around her table were filled with good food, conversation, laughter, and the people she cared about most.

Family and friendships were always important to Gloria. She was known for picking up the phone simply to check in, see how someone was doing, and find out what was happening in their lives. She genuinely cared about people and made an effort to stay connected to those she loved.

One of Gloria’s favorite chapters of her life began when she and Jose became full-time RV travelers. For more than ten years, they traveled throughout the country together, experiencing new places, meeting new people, and making countless memories along the way. Among their many adventures, Gloria and Jose were fortunate to make three RV trips to Alaska. Gloria loved the beauty, scenery, and especially the wildlife they encountered along the way. Those journeys were among the many experiences she treasured from their years on the road together.

When she wasn’t traveling, cooking, visiting with friends and family, or making conversation with someone she had just met, Gloria could often be found tending to her yard and plants. She had a true green thumb and took great pride and pleasure in caring for the things she grew.

Gloria leaves behind a lifetime of stories, laughter, adventures, friendships, and memories. Her humor and unmistakable social nature will be deeply missed, but the laughter she created, the meals she shared, the friendships she made, and the love she gave so freely will live on in the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to have known her.

Gloria is preceded in death by her two sons, Carl and Martin Contreras. She is survived by her husband Jose Contreras, daughter Janine Cohen and husband Chris, granddaughter Jessica Cohen, grandson Tony Cohen and his wife Emma, daughter-in- law Donna Contreras and grandson Christopher Kane.

There will be a gathering to celebrate Gloria’s life at Dannel Funeral Home in Sherman on Friday, October 16, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.