The Life of Mrs. Gloria Marie Parrilla

May 09, 1931 - April 17, 2020
Gloria Parrilla, loving sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away quietly on Friday, April 17th. She was 88.
A Bronx girl from just off Mosholu Parkway, Gloria was a lifelong Yankee fan, an avid reader, a world class cook and a loyal friend. After briefly attending Hunter College she worked at Time Inc. for the Luce family until she married William A. Parrilla in 1954. They left New York and moved to Connecticut, starting their family in 1956. Longtime residents of Fairfield, they were members of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. No wallflower, she was known to hold the occasional "strong opinion" and was never afraid to share it. Let it also be said though, that her kitchen was the place her children's friends gathered. It was there that she would feed us equal helpings of eggplant parmigiana or stuffed shells, hugs and encouragement after school.
Gloria later returned to work outside the home with stints at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and International Masters Publishing, from where she retired in 1993. She loved art, and would visit the Metropolitan and The Frick in the city as time allowed. Van Gogh's intensity and Vermeer's treatment of light were what captivated her most. That year she and her husband Bill finished work on "Larchmeadow", their family retreat in the Catskills. She loved to watch her grandchildren collect newts and frogs, play puzzles, read books, chase fireflies and look for shooting stars. In 1995 she and Bill moved to New Fairfield, CT, where they enjoyed being near their youngest grandchildren, Paige and Cole.
In 2013, one year after her husband Bill's death, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. After 4 years of in home care she was relocated to The Bristal in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. She enjoyed participating in the activities there as well as listening to big band, Tony Bennet, Dino and Frank, and show tunes. She could recall every word of every song from Showboat…
She is predeceased by her parents Victor and Catherine Lupinetti, her husband Bill of 58 years, Umberto Parrilla, Joseph Parrilla, Henry and Myra Salmaggi, John Collins and her beloved sister Lucille Collins.
Gloria is survived by daughter Andrea Fletcher, of Fairfield, CT; son Michael and wife Patricia of Newtown, CT; son William and wife Kieran, of Wyckoff, NJ; her grandchildren Paige and Cole Fletcher, Michael and wife Jody Parrilla and great-granddaughter Evelina; Kimberly Parrilla; Andrew Parrilla; Meredith and Jim Huck and great-grandchildren Landon and Kennedy; Matthew and wife Christina Parrilla. She is also survived by Henry (Vic) and Rosemary Parrilla, MaryAnn Parrilla, Robert and Carol Parrilla, Dario and Camille Parrilla, Erika and Louis Batelli, as well as over 20 nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for family and friends will be held at a later date.