Joan Delores Gloria
Dec 5, 1935 -
Jul 28, 2025
Joan Delores Gloria, 89, a devoted mother and grandmother, peacefully passed away on July 28, 2025. She was born in West Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 5, 1935, the first of four children of Richard and Mary Hernandez.
In 1952, Joan married Richard Shaw, beginning her life as a proud military wife. During 16 years of service life, she moved 11 times across the country, raising her children with love, adaptability and steadfast devotion. Wherever she went, Joan led with strength and optimism.
The church was both her spiritual home and a place where she served with faith and joy. She volunteered wherever she lived, always ready to welcome others and share God's love. While living in San Pedro, Calif., she and a close friend invited so many children from the Spanish community to Sunday school that the church purchased a sixty-six-passenger bus to accommodate them.
After Richard's retirement from the military, the family continued their travels, eventually settling in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1975. When her three children were grown, Joan moved to Fairbanks to pursue new opportunities. With characteristic optimism and diligence, she embraced new challenges and built a fulfilling life centered on work, friendship and faith.
In Fairbanks, Joan met and later married Enrique Gloria. Together they retired to build a ranch in Mexico, where they resided 15 years. Several years after Enrique's passing, Joan returned to Alaska to be near her family once more. Surrounded by loved ones and the mountains she cherished, she spent her later years enjoying puzzles, visiting and texting with family, and praising the Lord.
Joan is survived by her children, Richard Shaw Jr., Elaine Johnson, and Donald Shaw; stepchildren, Carmen Fernandez, Carlos Gloria, Alberto Gloria, and Fernando Gloria; sister, Sonja Hernandez; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Enrique Gloria; parents, Richard and Mary Hernandez; sister, Valerie Pyle; and brother, R. Franklin Hernandez.
A private memorial service was held.
"Well done, good and faithful servant." — Matthew 25:23
