Gloria Kay (Pullen) Howard

Gloria Kay (Pullen) Howard
80 years old
June 30, 1942 – February 21, 2023
of Divide, CO/Dallas, TX

Gloria Kay Pullen was born in Bedford, Iowa to Bill and Fay Pullen.  She graduated from Bedford High School in 1960. After graduation she moved to Omaha, NE and worked at Mutual of Omaha earning enough money to get electricity for her parent's farm and buy herself a 1960 convertible Chevy Impala.  She then met the love of her life Ray Howard and they were married April 10, 1965 in Omaha.  After the wedding they moved to Wilmington, DE where they had two children, Mark Christopher and Kerri Kathleen.  In 1973 they moved to Dallas, TX where she lived for 46 years, retiring from Mary Kay Cosmetics Corporate.  In 2019, she moved to Colorado to live with her daughter.  She came to love Colorado and made many new friends, but part of her heart remained in Texas with many friends and memories.  

Gloria loved to live life to the fullest and always had a smile on her face.  She loved to laugh and had a witty sense of humor.  She loved to travel and took many trips with her children and friends.

Family was what was most important to her and she was a fierce protector of those she loved.  She took on the role of mother and father after the untimely passing of her beloved husband in 1977.   She was very proud when she became a Grandma. Her grandchildren, Brittney and Trevor, and her great-grandchildren, Eva and Eden, were the lights of her life.

She loved her siblings and cousins and made a trip almost every year to visit and attended almost every family and class reunion.  Every trip included a pork tenderloin at Broncos and a slice of pie at the Junction Café.  She loved to stay with her sister Kathy and visit the greenhouses and see Kathy’s kids and great-grandkids who lovingly called her, “Old Lady Who.”

Gloria loved her family and friends (too many to name), master gardening, having a beautiful yard with lots of flowers and plants, sports cars, playing cards/spades club, traveling, hiking and the Dallas Cowboys.  She was also a big supporter of the Special Olympics, and she loved cheering on her grandson Trevor at many sports events.  She made lots of friends in the Special Olympics family over the years.

Gloria passed away peacefully at home with her family and loving caregivers by her side.  Although our hearts are broken, we know she is at peace and flying high continuing to be our rock and guardian Angel.

Gloria is survived by her children: Mark Howard of Dallas, TX and Kerri Howard of Divide, CO; her grandchildren: Trevor Howard of Dallas, TX and Brittney & Andrew Hall of Mendocino, CA and great-grandchildren Eva and Eden Hall of Mendocino, CA ; her sister Kathy (Craig) Canoyer of Griswold, IA; sister-in-law  Mae Pullen of Omaha, NE; sister-in-law Lee Pullen of Salt Lake City, UT; and her faithful canine companion Elvis, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents Bill and Fay, her sister Nancy, and brothers Billy and Eugene.

Gloria will be cremated and returned home to be with her parents in Bedford, IA and with her loving husband in Wilmington, DE.  Celebration of Life will be held in May in Bedford, IA.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her memory to something very dear to her heart, the Lewisville, TX Special Olympics:

LISDSO
4620 Queen Cir.
The Colony, TX  75056

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