Gloria Jean Wise

Gloria Jean Wise, daughter of Oneita Collick Wise and Mace Gumby, was born July 6, 1947 in Stockton, Maryland. She departed this earthly life and gained her heavenly wings on February 1, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. Jean, as she was affectionately known, always had a smile on her face and love in her heart. You wouldn’t know anything was wrong if she didn’t tell you. If you saw her, you saw her sister Marlene, they were inseparable, like two peas in a pod. She loved God & Jesus Christ with all her heart and soul. She loved music and enjoyed a good party too. She loved her nieces and nephews and her friends’ children as if they were her own. Dana was an only child with a bunch of sisters and brothers. Jean began her early education in the public schools in Stockton, MD and later moved to Wilmington, DE and in 1965 graduated from Wilmington High School. After which she attended Del Tech Community College Nursing Program where she earned her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate. She worked as a CNA at Wilmington Hospital, a home health aide, an attendant at Brandywine Racetrack, and worked in retail at Almart, Jefferson Ward and Kmart. She retired from Bank of New York/JP Morgan Chase where she was a customer services representative. She joined Mt. Joy UMC at an early age where she sang on the Gospel choir, mass choir and senior choir. She served as the treasurer, trustee, and on the Staff Pastor Parish Relationship Committee. She was also a Sunday School teacher and enjoyed going to the senior center. When she could no longer attend church in person, she watched every service on live stream. Mt. Joy clergy and congregation was always a great source of joy for her! When Rev. Powell became pastor at Mt. Joy, First Lady Joyce was reunited with her long-time friend “Jean-Jean” who used to babysit her. They often sat and laughed about old times. Jean (aka. Queen Jean), along with her sister Marlene, joined the Reindeer Lodge Gordon Chapter where she rose to be the Queen in 1994 and belonged to the Traveling Ladies Club. She really loved being with family and friends. Liked doing puzzles, word searches, crosswords, playing Skip’bo, solitaire, Chinese checkers, Mancala and she loved to crochet. If your baby didn’t have a blanket from Ant Jean, it’s because you didn’t ask. Jean was preceded in death by her parents, sister Odessa Purnell & brother-in-law Fred Purnell, brothers William, John, Willard, Vernon “Bootsie” and Larry “Tweed” Wise, niece Sonya Wright, nephews William Jr., Jay Smith, Tony Blake, Zyaire Jackson and De’Twine Young, two of her closest & dearest friends Joyce Smith and Joyce Roles “Joybell”. She leaves to cherish her memory daughter Dana Wise (Kimwanna Dorsey), sister Marlene Wright, sister-in-law Mary Wise, grandchildren Deymar Wise (Malaika Abdullah), Kavahn Wise and Anzsane Williams, great-grandchildren Amani, Jahmi, Deytwine and Oshun; Goddaughter Ahja Young, sister-nieces Vanessa Harvey, Oneita Marshall, nieces Monique Wright, Yolanda, Felicia and Angie Wise, Bridgette Blake, Fontella Jones, nephews John Jr., Bernard and Anthony Wise, James Jr. (Squeaky) and Daryl (Mike) Wright and Lance Ford, sisters-in-love Vera Jones & Doretha Blake a whole bunch of cousins, grand/great nieces and nephews and friends’ kids. And Dana’s closest friends.

Gloria Jean Wise

July 6, 1947 - February 1, 2024