Legacy of Life for Gloria Elaine Lynch Fuller
Gloria Elaine Lynch, (or Glo-Y, as she was affectionately known to her nuclear family) was born June 5, 1939, the second daughter to Bawlie Green Lynch and Lula-Marie Cherry Lynch in Oak City, NC. She joined a farming family, steeped in the Baptist tradition, as led by her grandfather, Rev. Rufus Lynch, who was one of the founders of the now annual Hampton University Ministerial Conference. His Sunday dinner was a tradition for his Lynch Clan.
As the BG Lynch family grew, her father, always the innovator and provider, had to expand his plans of taking care of the family so, in 1948, to Rocky Mount, NC they moved. Bawlie traded in the opportunity to remain a sharecropper on the farm and instead chose the prospect of becoming an entrepreneur for himself. God’s favor shined upon him to purchase a service station, where he ran the automotive side of the business and Lula Marie ran the café. Gloria took advantage of the opportunity to indulge her sweet tooth while she managed the café after school and her mother went home to start dinner. The business was a family affair, where her younger brother Quinton helped their dad service the cars by washing the customer’s white walled tires. Mattie helped their mother in the kitchen at home and Harold enjoyed the status of being the “baby.” The Lynch Mobil Service Station business, a fixture in the black community of Rocky Mount, North Carolina until the early 1990’s, afforded college educations for Gloria and her siblings and summer employment for the grandchildren.
School was fun for Gloria, despite having the less-than-equal resources of the segregated South. She enjoyed being with her friends and loved playing in the marching band, making the most of playing the trombone in marching songs by composers like John Philip Sousa and William Tell Overture. The Lynch family stressed education for all the children, in order to escape the economic shackles the lack of education presented people of color during those times. When Gloria wasn’t at school or the café, she was passing the time away reading. She was a voracious reader who would polish off over 100 books during the summer break. As fate would have it, Gloria finished Booker T. Washington High School as the class of 1956 salutatorian and onto Hampton University she went. Hampton Institute, as HU was known back then, provided a fine education in Biology where she could pursue her dream of becoming a physician. Medical School was not in her future, but becoming a science teacher was, so after graduation she packed her bags and accepted a Fellowship at Cornell University.
It was while student teaching in Owego, NY that Gloria fell for her tall, dark and handsome future husband, Grady Fuller, Jr. They were married at the Chapel at Hampton Institute by her former school chaplain and benefactor, Dr. Bodein. To this union were born Grady, III; Shabazz (Glen), and Joan. The family settled in White Plains, NY and Gloria resumed her teaching career in New Rochelle, once Joan started school. While teaching science at Isaac E. Young Junior High School, Gloria joined the newly-formed Westchester Association of Black School Educators, which advocated for equal access and opportunity for black students and educators. She also returned to school to pursue her master’s degree in Secondary School Counseling from Herbert H. Lehman College. In 1982 she became the first black guidance counselor at New Rochelle High School where she positively impacted the New Rochelle community for over 20 years. During the summer months, she lent her guidance counseling skills to the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s Summer Immersion Program, under the leadership of Dean Richard Jones, which prepared and inspired students from underserved communities for success in college.
Gloria loved Jesus and sought ways to learn more about Him to know Him better, grow closer to Him and to be an ambassador for His Kingdom. It was especially important that she gain a better understanding of who she was as a woman of this earth, with the desire to know and serve God. This journey began during her working years where she worshipped at Union Baptist Church in Greenburgh and later, under the tutelage of Elder Dr. Eloise Young at Faith Temple. Her studies continued as she worshipped at Calvary Baptist Church in NYC and took courses at the NY School of the Bible. Gloria integrated her professional skills as an educator where she taught Sunday School. Her work was recognized at the Cavalry, where under the leadership of Dr. Mildred Clark, Gloria was instrumental in developing an outreach program in the Dominican Republic and the Mississippi Delta, bringing to the region a diverse group professionals from health, education and others. Her studies also included the internationally renowned interdenominational Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). She participated in the Mississippi Delta Outreach Program as well as BSF for over ten years until becoming encumbered by the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Gloria’s life and spirit graced this earth and blessed our lives for 82 years. She is the type of servant one can envision hearing her Lord tell her, “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Her survivors include her children: Grady, III (Tien), Shabazz (Glen), and Joan; grandchildren, Erin (Jay) Avery, David, Autumn, Natasha and Brianna Fuller; D’Janet Ahyoung, Great-grandchild, Jamari Avery; siblings; Mattie Clarke (Dorsey Whitehead), Quinton (Cora) Lynch and Harold (Mae) Lynch; Aunt Mattie Evelyn Moore of Chesapeake, VA, a host of nieces, nephews and cousins around the globe and extraordinary caregivers to assist her with her daily life in the advanced stages of the disease; Shabazz Fuller, Sharon Page and Suzette McDonald Brown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATTENTION: During the continuing COVID-19 crisis, as we slowly begin to phase back into small capacity public visitations/services, we need your help in limiting and controlling the number of people inside the church, so please govern yourself accordingly for the health & safety of all. Thank you so kindly!
A Visitation/Wake will be held on Thurs. 12/9 from 11:00AM-12:00PM with limited seating due to COVID restrictions, Funeral 12:00noon. But the church will be live-streaming the service on ZOOM, also available on our website the day of the service where it says WATCH VIDEO, so you're able to view there/here also/instead, as there is LIMITED seating until the church is at their CAPACITY of 120 guests based on COVID restrictions & required social distancing (& you MUST pre-register with the church in advance so you're on their attendee list & have the required COVID clearance - Click link In Document Listed as MEMORIAL PROGRAM further Below for FULL Details & Links - or copy & paste/go to this link - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9GQFtSGeUl8KeXdbxaIXEiPLHvqztYq1zKVPvwPi0-abkUQ/viewform?usp=sf_link ). So you may come to the church to try to attend, with your masks on. At the very least you can get hand sanitizer & sign the register book (NOTE: please feel free to bring your own pen). If not at capacity AND you're COVID cleared to enter, you will be allowed in to have a seat; but if at capacity by the time you get there or you don't meet COVID requirements, you may be required to leave the premises after signing register book, so as not to be in violation nor cause a health hazard, so please govern yourself accordingly. Regardless of if you're able to enter/be seated, or not, social distancing MUST be maintained inside & outside at ALL times (NO touching/hugging/handshaking, ONLY elbow bumping briefly if at all). If instructed, PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY leave the building & premises if the church is at their restricted capacity. PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home staff and/or church or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & NYS law, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the funeral home and/or church, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Entire Staff of Lee's Funeral Home, LLC respects that the family of Gloria Fuller entrusted the care of their loved one to us, and that they value the level of service & attention our funeral home provides. We are honored, in turn, to provide comfort, assistance and service to the Fuller Family during their time of bereavement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please leave written condolences now herein on the Memory Wall to express your sorrow, share your memories, and as an expression of sympathy & way to communicate with/offer comfort to the family, that they and others may see, and may be a lasting tribute in her honor, whether you're able to attend or not. Definitely Please SIGN IN on the Memory Wall as a virtual way of signing the register book, especially if choosing to stay safe/not able to sign in person.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You MUST come to the church & cemetery wearing a mask, & wear a mask inside the church/social distance as much as possible at all times. You must use hand sanitizer upon entering the church. If you know you have a coronovirus/COVID-19; are sick/experiencing symptoms of coronovirus/COVID-19; are immuno-compromised and/or have health/other conditions that make your body more susceptible to illness, please do NOT attend any services nor come into the church. Please feel free to bring & use your own pen for signing the family's register book - you are encouraged to please BRING & use your own PEN for signing. Please follow & abide by the rules of the church, and directions of the funeral home staff, church and/or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & NYS law, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the church and/or funeral home, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a lasting tribute, you may also choose to plant a tree, and/or a contribution may be made in her name/memory/honor. If sending flowers, they may be delivered either on Wednesday December 8th, 2021 by/before 6:00PM to Lee's Funeral Home, or on Thurs. Dec. 9th by/before 10:30AM to Calvary Baptist Church. The Family Thanks You!