Mrs. Gladys Marie Macoy

Gladys Marie (Hubacek) Macoy was born to Clara (Pishek) and Louis Hubacek in Jackson, Minnesota on November 10, 1928. Her father passed away when she was 10 years old, and she was raised throughout her teenage years, by her mother Clara, and her stepfather, Harry Johnson, in Mankato, Minnesota, where she graduated from Mankato High School in 1946.

Gladys married Arville E. Macoy and to this union was born daughter Cheryl Mae Macoy. Arville passed away when Cheryl was six months old, after which Gladys raised Cheryl alone, while at the same time attending college.

She graduated in 1963 from Mankato (Minnesota) State College (now Minnesota State University/ Mankato) with a degree in Library Science and German. She subsequently returned to the same college and obtained a Master of Science degree in Media Technology. After graduation she and her daughter moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where she employed for 25 years in the Rochester School System as an elementary school librarian.

In 1992, after her retirement, Gladys moved to Clermont, Florida, where she lived with her daughter, Cheryl, until Cheryl’s death in 2019. She later moved into assisted living facilities in Apopka, Florida. In her retirement, Gladys taught English as a second language in a church school in Switzerland for one year, and tutored at First Christian Church School in Clermont, Florida.

Her hobbies included crossword and word puzzles, collecting a salt and pepper shakers, traveling, church activities, and most of all, being dedicated Tampa Bay Lightning hockey fan, attending as many games as possible as a season ticket holder up to the age of 90. She also enjoyed reading countless books throughout her lifetime. A special love and talent was her gift of music, enjoying all kinds of music, especially opera, country, and church music. She knew the lyrics to an uncountable number of Christian hymns and choruses. She also spent many hours reading her bible.

Gladys is preceded in death by her husband, Arville; daughter Cheryl; brother, Richard Hubacek; parents and stepfather.

Left to cherish her memory are her sister, Ruth Ann (Paule) Ehmcke of Woodbury, Minnesota; 3 nephews, two nieces and their spouses; great nieces and nephews extended family; special friends, Barbara and Don Peterson and Rebekah Wolford; and friends from Apopka Calvary Church of the Nazarene.

Although Gladys was raised in Minnesota, and loved living in Florida she never forgot her “Minnesota Family” as well as the rest of her family scattered throughout the US and Canada; and treasured her South Dakota Czech family heritage.

Gladys was a blessing to all with her gentleness, genuine care and concern for others and her deep faith.