Gloria May Hill, 78, of Kansas City, MO passed away May 28, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospice House surrounded by her family. A visitation will be held June 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM at Holmeswood Church, 9200 Holmes, Kansas City, MO, followed by a memorial service to celebrate her life, which will begin at 1:45 PM. The services will be live-streamed via the Holmeswood Church YouTube channel @holmeswoodchurch9740 and will also be available to view after the service.

Born on Easter Sunday March 28, 1948, her mother Edith May had planned to name her Jacqueline but decided on Gloria in honor of the special day. Gloria was raised in the midst of a family of very strong women. Surrounded by her grandmother, mother, and many aunts, she learned the values of self-determination, independence, persistence, and especially love and devotion to family. Gloria graduated from Ruskin High School and continued her education at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, MO.

Her professional life was a whirlwind of adventure. She met her beloved husband James while they were both working for the Kansas City Missouri Health Department, Air Pollution Control. Over the years, she also worked as a technical typist proofreader at Midwest Research Institute; an assistant for Sound Dynamics, which included attending many discos and gigs in the 70’s; the Director of the local chapter of AFTRA (the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists); a marketing Administrative Assistant at Bernstein-Rein; and an entertainment Administrative Assistant for New West Presentations, where she had the pleasure of personally assisting many bands and artists who came through Kansas City on their tours. Her whole extended family enjoyed attending many concerts and theater events with her. She worked in other diverse fields over the years, as she was always willing to take a chance, but, most importantly, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to any job at hand. Her winning personality, kindness, and happiness to interact with people were always her defining traits.

A woman of faith, Gloria was a member of Holmeswood Church where she was able to explore her Baptist roots and express her lifelong commitment to the love of God, and she expressed that with love and kindness toward others. Her personal hobbies included watercolor painting, genealogy research, collecting antique teacups, and writing poetry, each of which reflected her artistic nature and love for history and tradition.

Gloria was preceded in death by her dear mother, Edith May Kroenke, and her grandmother, Lillie Maye Adams, with whom she has been looking forward to reuniting in heaven. Gloria is survived by her husband of 53 years, James Hill, and daughter, Angela May Hill of London, England, as well as four grandchildren, Ryan Traistaru of Kansas City, Maria Isabel Traistaru of Kansas City, Ana Viveros of New York City, and Viviana Cervantes of London. She was a much loved central figure in her family, cherished for her warmth and unwavering support. She was happy to watch her family explore their dreams, while she supported them fully and enjoyed their adventures and successes.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Gloria's memory to St. Luke's Hospice House or to Holmeswood Church, honoring her compassionate spirit and lifelong dedication to helping others. Despite physical ailments which touched her later in life, Gloria never yielded to pity but sought to understand her situation and continued onward, participating in everything to the best of her ability and being present for others. She was always there for her family, who were her life, and her family and friends will always carry her with them throughout their lives.