Gloria "Dean" Wooden Gloria D. Wooden peacefully transitioned from labor to reward on July 12, 2022, at the age of 70. She was born on November 23, 1951, to the parentage of Jimmie J. Hall and Lizzie Pearl Hall in Marietta, TX. She attended Booker T. Washington as a child and graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 1970. Gloria married Bobby L. Wooden on February 12, 1983. Together they raised their children Dorinda Duffey, Holethia Johnson (AJ), Jonathan Wooden (Tammy) and Tarran Wooden Sr. (Charla). Stepchildren including Tydarell Wooden (Vanessa), Tammy Wilkins (Harold), Derrick Wooden and Tonia Thomas. With a passion for caring for others, Gloria received her license as a licensed vocational nurse on October 18, 1977. She spent the next 30 plus years working and training other nurses that came across her path. She was dedicated to her work and to helping her patients; so much so that she would arrive an hour early for each shift. She was knowledgeable, dependable and often praised by her fellow coworkers. Gloria was the Assistant Director of Nurses for many years at Geras Nursing Home in Mount Pleasant. She later retired from Theron Grainger Nursing & Rehabilitation after 20 years of employment. At an early age, Gloria attended Mount Olive Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, TX. She accepted Christ at a Saturday night revival service at the First Church of God in Christ under the Elder Willie Searcy. Gloria was one of the founding members of Bible Way Baptist Church and a founding member of Unity Church in July of 1998. She was a strong presence in the development and longevity of the church. Although she was never able to fulfill her dream of one day opening a soup kitchen, she fed and served many people with a caring spirit and selfless acts of service. With a profound belief in God, service and community, Gloria pioneered Mission in Action, which was an organization that put those beliefs to work. She dedicated her time, energy and passion for cooking to feeding the community and ensuring everyone around her was taken care of. Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, aunts and uncles, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband, children, sisters: Shirley Lewis Nash (Earnest), Jessie Bratton (Eddie), Wanda Hall, Denise Hall, and Bonda Kaye Neal; brothers: Freddie Lewis and Robert Hall (Devon); special nephew: Eddie Bratton Jr. (Sheletha); special nieces: Jameika Vickers, Melissa Bratton (Michael), Sheronda Nash, Debbie Ruffin, Tracie Webster, and Shani Blevins; sister-in-law: Betty Beasley and Mary Henderson; brothers-in-law: John Wooden Jr. and Willie Wooden; grandchildren: Whitney Chaffen (Michael), JaColby Tudman (Christany), JaCara Johnson, Kierra Duffey, Jasmine Hester, Kerry Duffey Jr., Shaneice Hall, Kayla Bratton, Katera Duffey, Jonathan Wooden Jr., Victoria Wooden, Octavious Rusher, September Thomas, Natalie Hines, Antonia Wooden, Tarran Wooden Jr., Taylor Wooden, Jerrius Vickers, Jamaree Armour, Chelsea Wooden, Bobby Wooden Jr., N'Dea Wilkins, Davin Wilkins, Harold Wilkins III, London Wilkins, Anzia Wooden, Juliette Wooden, Carrington Wooden, Miquel Wooden, Zoe Wooden, Victoria Wooden, Ava Thomas, Amarrius Thomas, John Thomas, Aaron Thomas, and Jevon Thomas; five great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins; special friends Edna Bratton, Hubert Jean Thomas, Whalyn Payne, Carolyn Brown, and Chrissandra Brown Guinn.