Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
March 8, 2020
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 4-8 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM on Friday, March 13, 2020 from the funeral home then to Grace Community Church, 886 Franklin Ave. Franklin Lakes where a 11:00 AM, Funeral Service will be offered.
Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
Gloria A. Hickey (nee Profita), age 93, of Wayne, passed peacefully, with loving family by her side, on Sunday, March 8, 2020.
The youngest of Frank and Lillian Profita’s six children, Gloria grew up in Passaic where she attended Clifton High School, graduating with the Class of 1946. With high school behind her, she set her sights on a career as a teacher and attended college in Newark for two years. Plans changed and Gloria went to work as a comp operator with Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Woodridge and Fairfield.
One night in 1954, while at a New Year’s Eve party, Gloria made the acquaintance of a handsome man named Nicholas J. Hickey – better known as Joe Hickey, who was home on leave from service in the U.S. Navy. That night Joe asked if he could call Gloria in the future, but having to return to Navy duties he didn’t get the chance to call till almost a year later when the next New Year’s Eve party came around. For the party in 1955, Joe was Gloria’s date and he told her that very night that he was going to marry her. As things worked out, Joe was right! They exchanged their wedding promises on a Saturday that Joe described as gorgeously sunny and beautiful. It was October 12, 1957 at the wedding took place at St. Paul’s Church in Clifton.
After a honeymoon to Montreal in Québec, Canada, Gloria and Joe moved into their first house together as husband and wife which happened to be with Gloria’s parents on 130 Clinton Avenue in Clifton. While there, Joe recalled eating a lot of beans and macaroni. They moved several times after that ultimately settling in 1962 in their present home in Wayne.
Gloria became a career homemaker and mother to her and Joe’s one daughter and three sons. She turned out to be the epitome of the most awesome wife, mother, and grandmother anyone could ever be so blessed to have. Loaded with patience, kindness, grace, and unconditional love, Gloria was extremely helpful in inspiring her children in their journey to adulthood.
One of Gloria’s favorite activities, especially as a young women, was hitting the dance floor at one of those posh clubs in New York City in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. She’d typically go with her three cousins, Joe, Mike and Tony and she especially loved the rich jazz sounds of bebop and big band artists like Harry James and Benny Goodman. It was a classy scene and it suited Gloria – a woman who was cool before using the word “cool” was considered cool. In later years, her children would recall their mom always having the radio on in the kitchen, listening to music on WABC.
Gloria’s love of music inspired her to teach herself how to play piano and she loved to relax by tickling the ivorys. It’s no secret to those who knew her well that Gloria took great joy in going shopping and she always seemed to have a sixth sense for a great bargain. She was also an excellent seamstress who started out by sewing ornaments for the Christmas tree and quickly progressed to the point of creating beautiful clothing for herself and her daughter Anne. In later years, as she excitedly anticipated the arrival of those first grandchildren, Gloria switched to knitting beautiful warm and soft Afghans. Over the course of time, she was blessed to make twelve in all – one for each grandchild. She simply adored each of her grandchildren and she had a real knack for entertaining them and helping them to feel so very special. A visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house always meant that you were going to be treated with lots of candy and toys – items that Gloria always had a good stock of on hand. In fact she had a closet full of goodies including lots of crafts that she could share with them for a great learning experience and quality interaction. And while her own kids were never allowed to jump on their perfectly made beds, she never said a word when her grandchildren did it.
In the decade of the 1970’s, Gloria experienced a true spiritual awakening in her life. She and her hubby Joe had always spent time praying together but she also started attending a women’s bible study and listening to various evangelists on the radio. As she searched deeper into the bible, her faith grew more and more and she’d regularly be up early in the morning listening to a radio minister named Robert A. Cook who encouraged Gloria in her relationship with God and ended every radio broadcast with the encouragement to “Walk with the King today and be a blessing!” When the Billy Graham Crusade came to town, Gloria was there and this too was a life-changing experience that drew her closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. This was back in the days of cassette recording and Gloria would regularly record a broadcast to listen to it over and over again. She had lots of these tape recordings! Gloria’s new-found love for God overflowed from her heart and soon she was helping her husband and children to get closer with God too. The whole family started attending Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne and when the only ones left in the house were she and Joe, they started attending St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes. Gloria grew so much through these various experiences. She was always studying her bible, taking notes, writing prayers on prayer cards and praying fervently for family and friends.
Gloria will be missed on so many levels, but her family rests secure with a peace that passes human understanding, knowing that she is in the care of the Lord in heaven and that because of the faith that she shared with them, they will one day see her again.
Gloria was the beloved wife of Joseph; loving mother of: Anne and husband Vince Traglia of Middletown, RI, Joseph P. Hickey and fiancé Tina Belis of Oak Ridge; Michael and wife Alieda Hickey of Fair Lawn, and John and wife Kathy Hickey of Mendham; adored grandmother of Kristen and husband Chris, Ashley, Joe, Jade, Sydney, Sarah and husband Charlie, Nick, Michael, David, Nina, James, and Alana; cherished great-grandmother of Julianne, Michael Kevin, and Brooklyn; dear sister of five siblings – all predeceased: Vincent, Mary, M. Frank, Rose, and Frances.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gloria’s memory would be appreciated to:
Feed the Children
333 N. Meridian
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Or Click here to donate online
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 4-8 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM on Friday, March 13, 2020 from the funeral home then to Grace Community Church, 886 Franklin Ave. Franklin Lakes where a 11:00 AM, Funeral Service will be offered.
Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
March 8, 2020
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 4-8 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM on Friday, March 13, 2020 from the funeral home then to Grace Community Church, 886 Franklin Ave. Franklin Lakes where a 11:00 AM, Funeral Service will be offered.
Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
Gloria A. Hickey (nee Profita), age 93, of Wayne, passed peacefully, with loving family by her side, on Sunday, March 8, 2020.
The youngest of Frank and Lillian Profita’s six children, Gloria grew up in Passaic where she attended Clifton High School, graduating with the Class of 1946. With high school behind her, she set her sights on a career as a teacher and attended college in Newark for two years. Plans changed and Gloria went to work as a comp operator with Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Woodridge and Fairfield.
One night in 1954, while at a New Year’s Eve party, Gloria made the acquaintance of a handsome man named Nicholas J. Hickey – better known as Joe Hickey, who was home on leave from service in the U.S. Navy. That night Joe asked if he could call Gloria in the future, but having to return to Navy duties he didn’t get the chance to call till almost a year later when the next New Year’s Eve party came around. For the party in 1955, Joe was Gloria’s date and he told her that very night that he was going to marry her. As things worked out, Joe was right! They exchanged their wedding promises on a Saturday that Joe described as gorgeously sunny and beautiful. It was October 12, 1957 at the wedding took place at St. Paul’s Church in Clifton.
After a honeymoon to Montreal in Québec, Canada, Gloria and Joe moved into their first house together as husband and wife which happened to be with Gloria’s parents on 130 Clinton Avenue in Clifton. While there, Joe recalled eating a lot of beans and macaroni. They moved several times after that ultimately settling in 1962 in their present home in Wayne.
Gloria became a career homemaker and mother to her and Joe’s one daughter and three sons. She turned out to be the epitome of the most awesome wife, mother, and grandmother anyone could ever be so blessed to have. Loaded with patience, kindness, grace, and unconditional love, Gloria was extremely helpful in inspiring her children in their journey to adulthood.
One of Gloria’s favorite activities, especially as a young women, was hitting the dance floor at one of those posh clubs in New York City in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. She’d typically go with her three cousins, Joe, Mike and Tony and she especially loved the rich jazz sounds of bebop and big band artists like Harry James and Benny Goodman. It was a classy scene and it suited Gloria – a woman who was cool before using the word “cool” was considered cool. In later years, her children would recall their mom always having the radio on in the kitchen, listening to music on WABC.
Gloria’s love of music inspired her to teach herself how to play piano and she loved to relax by tickling the ivorys. It’s no secret to those who knew her well that Gloria took great joy in going shopping and she always seemed to have a sixth sense for a great bargain. She was also an excellent seamstress who started out by sewing ornaments for the Christmas tree and quickly progressed to the point of creating beautiful clothing for herself and her daughter Anne. In later years, as she excitedly anticipated the arrival of those first grandchildren, Gloria switched to knitting beautiful warm and soft Afghans. Over the course of time, she was blessed to make twelve in all – one for each grandchild. She simply adored each of her grandchildren and she had a real knack for entertaining them and helping them to feel so very special. A visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house always meant that you were going to be treated with lots of candy and toys – items that Gloria always had a good stock of on hand. In fact she had a closet full of goodies including lots of crafts that she could share with them for a great learning experience and quality interaction. And while her own kids were never allowed to jump on their perfectly made beds, she never said a word when her grandchildren did it.
In the decade of the 1970’s, Gloria experienced a true spiritual awakening in her life. She and her hubby Joe had always spent time praying together but she also started attending a women’s bible study and listening to various evangelists on the radio. As she searched deeper into the bible, her faith grew more and more and she’d regularly be up early in the morning listening to a radio minister named Robert A. Cook who encouraged Gloria in her relationship with God and ended every radio broadcast with the encouragement to “Walk with the King today and be a blessing!” When the Billy Graham Crusade came to town, Gloria was there and this too was a life-changing experience that drew her closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. This was back in the days of cassette recording and Gloria would regularly record a broadcast to listen to it over and over again. She had lots of these tape recordings! Gloria’s new-found love for God overflowed from her heart and soon she was helping her husband and children to get closer with God too. The whole family started attending Our Lady of Consolation Church in Wayne and when the only ones left in the house were she and Joe, they started attending St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes. Gloria grew so much through these various experiences. She was always studying her bible, taking notes, writing prayers on prayer cards and praying fervently for family and friends.
Gloria will be missed on so many levels, but her family rests secure with a peace that passes human understanding, knowing that she is in the care of the Lord in heaven and that because of the faith that she shared with them, they will one day see her again.
Gloria was the beloved wife of Joseph; loving mother of: Anne and husband Vince Traglia of Middletown, RI, Joseph P. Hickey and fiancé Tina Belis of Oak Ridge; Michael and wife Alieda Hickey of Fair Lawn, and John and wife Kathy Hickey of Mendham; adored grandmother of Kristen and husband Chris, Ashley, Joe, Jade, Sydney, Sarah and husband Charlie, Nick, Michael, David, Nina, James, and Alana; cherished great-grandmother of Julianne, Michael Kevin, and Brooklyn; dear sister of five siblings – all predeceased: Vincent, Mary, M. Frank, Rose, and Frances.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gloria’s memory would be appreciated to:
Feed the Children
333 N. Meridian
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
Or Click here to donate online
Guestbook