Gloria Patricia Griffin Kolek went home to her Lord on June 11, 2022. She was born on December 20, 1932 in Los Angeles, California to Charles Griffin and Hertha Paape Griffin. Gloria was orphaned at a young age and spoke little of her childhood; however, the emotion and upheaval of those early years greatly influenced her perspective and passions. She was a fiercely independent, free-spirited adventurer who loved traveling, sports cars, and anything related to a mystery. She loved everything creative, and much of her house was decorated with her original art. She was also a mindful intellectual, yet she could appreciate even the simplest of things.

Despite her free-spirit, creating the family she lacked as a youth was central to her being. Gloria married Robert, the love of her life, at St. Stanislaus in the Strip District in 1968, and she always said her greatest accomplishment was the success of her children and grandchildren. She was a loving, dedicated and remarkable mother who loved to make her secret ice-tea and the best tasting blueberry muffins. She taught her boys how to be explorers and adventurers with everything from dinosaur fossils to new foods and to be thoughtful problem solvers with kindness and consideration for others. Her definition of family was expansive, and she believed in helping others and treating everyone with compassion and grace. She was a relentless volunteer and contributed her time and talent to everything from cub scouts to food banks to museum docent.

Gloria is survived by her sons, Robert and Patrick; daughters-in-law, Jacqueline and Kirsten; the grandchildren whom she cherished, Isabella, Robbie, Ethan, and Luke; and a large and loving extended family.

A private visitation for family will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at the WALTER J. ZALEWSKI FUNERAL HOME, 216 44th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Church, 57 21st Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Gloria will be laid to rest at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Shaler Township next to Robert, her husband of 52 years.