Gloria Carol Packer
Gloria Carol Galbraith Packer was born to Dorald and Delpha Galbraith on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1940, in Lyman, Idaho. She was their second child. Her family moved to New Plymouth, Idaho, in 1947, where she started school and ultimately graduated from New Plymouth High School in 1959. Around 1961, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she attended LDS Business College.
After graduation, she worked as a secretary at the Utah State Capitol building. In 1964, she was called on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Toronto, Ontario, Canada mission where she served for 18 months.
In 1965, Gloria married Robert Kingsbury in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Together they had three children: Debra, Linda, and Paul. Gloria and Bob later divorced, and Gloria and the kids moved back to New Plymouth. In New Plymouth, she renewed acquaintance with a childhood best friend, Raymond Rash, and they were married in 1982. Raymond died eight years later in 1990.
In 1994, friends introduced Gloria to Charles Packer from Fruitland, Idaho. They were married in October of 1994 and enjoyed the past 26 years together on their farm growing peaches, raising a garden, and taking care of countless cats, chickens, and of course, their little dog, Lucky.
On July 1, 2020, Charles and Gloria were both admitted to the hospital with Covid-19. After a month-long battle, she passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Boise, Idaho.
Gloria is survived by her husband Charles Packer, Gloria’s three children: Paul (Joella) Kingsbury, Debra (Kevin) Miller and Linda Gibbs, four step-children: Tina Fitzgerald, JaNell Oaks, Sarah Stepp (deceased), Jennifer Schmaltz and Todd Packer, and nine grandchildren/step grandchildren: Madison, Jaxon, Wil, Greta, and Ava Kingsbury, Kelsey and KyLeigh Miller, Grace and Megan Gibbs, Sam and Heather Fitzgerald, Trenton and Brittney Schmaltz, Ti Anna, Mellissa and Kallista Oaks, Austin, Zachary, Collin and Stephanie Stepp and Allison and Brendon Packer.
She is also survived by her sister Darline Burke, three brothers Blair, David and Brian Galbraith, and many nieces and nephews who have fond memories of her life and service to them.
For the health and safety of some family members, there will be an invitation-only graveside service at Park View Cemetery in New Plymouth, Idaho on Friday, August 14, 2020 at 10:00am. A link to a live stream of the service is below.
Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.