WESTMERE — A family matriarch who provided wisdom and support to those she loved, Gloria (née Smith) Bourque had a knack for winning contests, loved music and dancing, and treasured family time at a lakeside cottage.

She died on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. She was 95.

“She was born on Jan. 13, 1931 in Albany to parents Joseph and Mildred (née Schwab) Smith,” her family wrote in a tribute. “Gloria married her childhood sweetheart and loving husband, Eugene V. Bourque Jr., in 1952. They were married 68 years before his passing in November of 2020. 

“Gloria graduated from Albany High School in 1949 and worked as an operator for the Bell Telephone Company. Gloria and Gene started their family and bought a home in Westmere, a place that their parents thought was in the boonies.

“Gloria became active in the community. She was a member of the neighborhood Canasta card club.  As kids, we would love when mom sponsored the card games; we would get the leftover goodies.

“Mom organized kids’ talent shows. Our garage was the stage and in the driveway sat the audience.  We each sang a song. The proceeds provided cake and ice cream for the performers.

“Gloria enthusiastically supported our interests and activities including serving as a Cub Scout Troop 50 Den Mother and taking us to piano lessons and other events. Later, she taught both of us how to drive, including how to drive a ‘standard.’

“Being a full-time mom wasn’t enough, she explored careers as a real-estate agent, a lighting salesperson, a secretary, and finally as an agent with the New York State Nurses Association where she worked for 18 years until her retirement.

“She loved music and dancing. It was easy to see how our dad, Eugene, a talented jazz saxophone musician, won her heart.

“Every summer our family would pack up the car and spend a week at a lakeside cottage. Mom and Dad explored several different lakes and then found Brant Lake. Quickly recognizing the family setting of Mead’s Cottages, Gloria and Gene bought a camp in 1968 and our family has spent summers there ever since. We are grateful that Gloria got to spend one more day at Brant Lake during the summer of 2025.

“Gloria had her talents. She was a skilled seamstress and made many clothes for herself and Sue in the 1960s and ’70s, sharing patterns with sewing friends. Most of our Halloween costumes were homemade. 

“Mom always had a get-up-and-go spirit. As a young mother who loved Broadway shows, she relished occasional day-trips to New York City with her dear friend, Jean Kuberski. Gloria and Jean also enjoyed bingo together at the Voorheesville American Legion.

“She had a knack for entering and winning contests. Her good luck included winning a family trip to the 1964 World’s Fair, numerous Broadway play tickets, a sailboat, a new electric range, and cash several times on ‘Dialing For Dollars.’

“For several winters, Gloria and Gene enjoyed the warmer weather in Florida. She also enjoyed cards, darts, and games with family and friends, going on excursions with husband, Gene, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandsons.

“She had lifelong bonds with her two sisters, her brother-in-law, Alan Bourque, and his wife, Janet, and their extended families. After retirement, Gloria became interested in genealogy and spent many hours researching and documenting our family history.

“Gloria always had a plan for the future and the determination to achieve it. As the eldest sister and family matriarch, she provided wisdom and support to those she loved.

“Having experienced a difficult childhood, Gloria always wanted better for her family. She was a fantastic mother and homemaker and provided a wonderful childhood for us. She budgeted family finances all year to make sure every Christmas and birthday was special.

“She also made sure we knew who our extended family was.  She loved animals and we had dogs, cats, and other critters growing up. All the neighborhood birds and squirrels were always well fed. Later in life, she was particularly fond of her cat, Lilah.

“She lived independently until three years ago still driving, cooking her own meals, shoveling the driveway, and mowing the lawn.

“Gloria, Glo, Gloie, Mom, Nan, or Nana will always be remembered for her love, vitality, warmth, friendly nature, sense of humor and fun loving spirit. She made friends easily and could light up a room with her smile. 

“She had a kind and gentle soul, but when we were kids, we feared facing Mom much more than Dad.  Gloria felt very fortunate to have such a loving daughter-in-law in Laura, who became her second daughter. 

“We are sincerely grateful to her nieces, Donna Armstrong and Shelly Strawbridge, who often visited her at the nursing home and brought joy to her during her later years. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to her kind and thoughtful neighbors who helped, visited, and checked in on her when she lived alone on Arlene Avenue. 

“Gloria J. Bourque, passed away on March 11, at age 95 after a two-year battle with dementia, a horrible disease.  She was dearly loved, is greatly missed, and will forever be remembered in our hearts.”

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Gloria June Bourque is survived by her son, David Bourque, and his wife, Laura (née Carl); her daughter, Susan Bourque, and her husband, William Schoenfeld; her four grandchildren, Michael Bourque, Rochelle (née Bourque) Ward, Noah and Gabriel Schoenfeld; and her great-grandsons Greyson Bourque and Caleb Ward.

Her parents, Joseph and Mildred (née Schwab) Smith, died before her, as did her husband, Eugene V. Bourque Jr.; her two younger sisters, Mildred Wilcox and Marilyn Melcher; her stepbrother, Thomas Brown; and her stepfather, Carl Brown.

Friends and family are invited to call on Friday, March 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Road, Colonie, NY 12205. Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Albany.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.