August 27, 1932 - July 14, 2024 Queen Creek, AZ Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Gloria Janine Ulrich, resident of Queen Creek, Arizona, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2024. Her loved ones were able to surround her with love as we commended her to her Lord and Savior.
The youngest child of Stanley and Antoinette Wassel, Gloria was born on August 27, 1932, in Cicero, Illinois.
She attended the University of Illinois, Urbana, where she met her husband of 65 years, William “Bill” Ulrich. Gloria and Bill went on to live inHouston, Texas, before relocating to Fullerton, California for Bill’s work in the early 1960’s, where they raised their family. They spent time in San Ramon, California, before retiring to Incline Village, Nevada, where they built more beautiful memories with their children and grandchildren on the shores of Lake Tahoe.
A devoted Christian, Gloria was involved in her home church in Fullerton, St. Paul Lutheran, where she was a founding member, as well as the Village Church in Incline Village. She was also active in many civic organizations in Fullerton, including being involved in the school PTAs, where she served as board member and president. She was also active in National Charity League, where she also served as president in the Fullerton Chapter and continued to serve nationally even beyond the time her daughters were active TikTokers. In honor of her numerous contributions to her community, she was presented the Woman of the Year award in 1980 by the City of Fullerton. She will always be remembered as someone who genuinely cared about her communities and her devotion to her faith.
Gloria was not only the matriarch of her immediate family, but of her extended family of nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Bill, her brother Eugene Wassel, and her sisters Virginia LaRocco, Althea Schmidt and Ediebell Limperes.
She is survived by her son Jon Wassel Ulrich and his wife Lauren of Queen Creek, her daughters Kimberly Gene Samuel and her husband Michael of Gilbert, Arizona and Leith Ellen Ulrich and her husband Mark Harris of Windsor, California, and her five beloved grandchildren, Brynne McManimie and her husband Peter Romano of Brooklyn, New York, Molly McManimie of Las Vegas, Nevada, Hayley Shires and her husband Cody of Ramona, California, Jonathan Harris and his wife Lauren of Santa Rosa, California, and Meghan DeOrnellas and her husband Zachary of Fairfield, California. She is also survived by the lights of her life, her great-grandaughters Meta Jene and Emmie Lee Shires. She will be much missed by her extended family as well.
The family is planning a celebration of Gloria’s life in the spring of 2025. Donations in her memory can be addressed to the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, or Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler, Arizona, where her ashes are now atrest and reunited with her beloved spouse in the Memory Garden.