Gloria Reinhardt

Gloria Reinhardt was born October 12, 1925 in San Mateo, California. As a baby, she was bundled in blankets and moved north to Greenwood, Seattle in an unheated Ford Model T with her brother George. At age 2 she was struck with polio, spending months in the hospital and having to wear a brace on her leg. She didn’t let that slow her down tagging along with George and his buddies and trying to climb trees with them. She often said she wished she was a boy because they had more fun! The family ended up settling in Kent where she lived until she graduated valedictorian from Kent High School. By working at her parents’ streetcar diner, she was able to save money and attend UW where she majored in economics with sights on a law degree. Instead, she became a reservationist with Northwest Airlines where she met the love of her life, Vernon Reinhardt, while working in Minneapolis. Their first frigid winter together was spent in Bismarck, North Dakota in a tiny, rented room with only a hot plate and an ice box. Vern was then hired by ARINC to work at the SeaTac airport. She remembered arriving in Kent to clear blue skies feeling like she was truly home. It was time to start a family but unfortunately their first child, Vaughn, died at age two. They were blessed, however, with two beautiful daughters, Melanie and Vicki. When they started school, Gloria went back to UW and got her master’s in library science. She became Kent Meridian High School’s head librarian where she stayed until her retirement in 1982. She and Vern followed their daughters to Bellingham where they built their dream home on five acres on Huntley Road with a beautiful view of Mt. Baker. They were blessed to have their grandchildren, Kyndra, Erik, and Emma, nearby. Gloria got to be a part of the lives of her great-grandchildren, Grey and Adelyn. She loved to travel, visiting all over Europe and the Far East, including Russia, Greece, and Turkey, and took several cruises all over the world. However, it was family that gave her the most joy. She donated a lot of her time to the Bellingham Emblem Club and made many strong friendships there. She was a devout Democrat and loved to talk politics even if you didn’t agree. The Mariners and Seahawks had an unwavering fan who rarely missed a game. After Vern’s death, she decided she wanted to stay at home. Despite her limited mobility she made it work and was fortunate to have Vicki move in with her for the last two years. She was truly a strong, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, who leaves behind a family and friends that loved her dearly and will miss her every day.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 20th at 1:00pm at Westford Funeral Home, 1301 Broadway, Bellingham, WA. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, August 21st at 1:00pm at Hillcrest Burial Park, 1005 Reiten Rd. Kent, WA.