Gloria E. Thompson

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gloria E. Thompson (nee Casson), age 79, of Woodland Park, NJ.

Gloria passes peacefully on Monday, October 14, 2024 while receiving the loving care of her family and after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Gloria was born in the city of Paterson and attended St Mary’s Elementary School.  She was one of two children to Gloria and Edward Casson.  While still a young girl, Gloria’s father Edward Casson was tragically killed in World War II.  After several years, her mother remarried and the family moved to Wayne, NJ.  While living in Wayne, Gloria attended Holy Cross Elementary School and later De Paul High School also located in Wayne.  Gloria graduated from De Paul High School with class of 1963 and immediately enrolled in a secretarial school in Paterson.

After earning her Associates Degree, Gloria found employment quickly and accepted a position as a secretary in the library at William Paterson College, now known as William Paterson University.  Gloria spent nearly the next thirty years at William Paterson University until retiring almost twenty-five years ago.  In Gloria’s retirement, she worked part-time as a receptionist in a wedding showplace in Wayne.   Gloria thrived in her part-time role where the air was always filled with excitement.  She genuinely enjoyed meeting with couples and helping guide them through the maze of planning their perfect day.  Her warm smile and keen attention to detail made her a pleasure to work with.

As a teenager at De Paul High School, Gloria attended the yearly high school dance.  While talking with a fellow classmate at the dance, a boy named Arthur Thompson approached her with a shy smile and asked, “Cass, you wanna dance?”  Their connection was instant, and what began as a simple twirl under the stars blossomed into a whirlwind romance. The two quickly became high school sweethearts.  As fate would have it, they fell in love and on June 27, 1970, several years after their graduation, surrounded by friends and family, they sealed their love with vows becoming husband and wife at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.

The newlyweds first lived in an apartment in Whippany, NJ where they only lived for a few months.  They moved to another apartment in Haledon where they lived for about a year before purchasing their first home in that same town.  Two years later the couple moved to Woodland Park, NJ where they have called their home ever since.  

Arthur and Gloria treasured traveling together throughout the years particularly by way of cruise ships.  Gloria and Arthur visited a variety of exotic destinations throughout the Caribbean, their favorite being the island of Bermuda.  Arthur and Gloria cherished fifty-four years of loving and loyal marriage together.  

Gloria was the embodiment of positivity, known for her outgoing nature and infectious smile that brightened any room she entered. Despite facing numerous challenges in her life, she approached each day with an unwavering enthusiasm for her work, inspiring those around her.  Although she had a lot to complain about, she never did.  Gloria will be forever remembered as a loving, devoted wife and a truly wonderful and dedicated friend to those who knew her.

Gloria is survived by her husband Arthur Thompson of Woodland Park, NJ, her sister-in-law Lynn Linch and her husband Frederick of New York State, her sister-in-law Joy Thompson of Madison, NJ, and five nieces; Christine, Tracey, Jennifer, Jamie, and Jennifer Casson, and three nephews Earl, Edward, and John.  She was predeceased by her brother Edward Casson and her nephew William Thompson.