Gloria Louise (Miller) Benz, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, godmother, and faithful Catholic, passed away peacefully on July 16, 2026, at the age of 90, while under hospice care at St. Joseph Caregivers in El Cajon, California.

Born on December 23, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, Gloria was the daughter of John T. Miller and Louise Selz Miller. She was raised in North St. Louis, where she attended St. Edward Catholic Church and School. Her Catholic faith became the foundation of her life and remained steadfast throughout her ninety years.

In 1952, Gloria met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Benz, in Forest Park in St. Louis. They married later that year and shared nearly 55 years of marriage until Bob’s passing in 2007. Together they built a loving home and raised seven children, always placing faith and family at the center of their lives.

In 1966, Gloria and her family moved to California, where she later earned her high school diploma as an adult, attended ROP at Grossmont College, became a Certified Nurse’s Assistant and then a Licensed Vocational Nurse, and devoted 14 years to caring for patients at Grossmont Hospital. Her compassion, dedication, and gentle spirit touched countless lives.

Gloria had many gifts and interests. She loved sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cooking, baking, and preserving photographs and memories. She and Bob enjoyed traveling throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada, Europe, and Finland, creating treasured memories together with family and friends.

Her Catholic faith was central to her life. She faithfully served for many years at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Mission Hills as a Sacristan, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to the sick, altar server, and member of the Legion of Mary. She quietly lived her faith through service to others and by raising her family in the Catholic Church.

Gloria was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Benz; her daughter, Beverly Ann Benz; her parents, John and Louise Miller; her sister June Gelm and other cherished family members.

She is survived by her seven children, Danny, David, Ron, Donna, William, Jeff, and Karen; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, godchildren, and dear friends whose lives she touched with her kindness, generosity, and unwavering love.

During her final illness, Gloria was surrounded by the love of her family and received the comforting prayers and sacraments of the Catholic Church. She passed away peacefully on July 16, 2026.

A Memorial Mass celebrating Gloria’s life and faith will be held at a later date, followed by the interment of her cremated remains.

Gloria’s family finds comfort in the words from one of her favorite poems, “A Psalm of Life”by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Life is real! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

May Gloria Louise Benz rest in the peace of Christ, and may her memory continue to be a blessing to all who knew and loved her.