Gloria MacCarter Lundell Sims was the daughter of Concert Singer, Mary Josephyne Comerford, and Delaware County District Attorney, William MacCarter.
According to one of her seven children, "Most of her days began with a daily phone call to each of her children — and she always, always ended every call with, ‘I love you,'" said her 43-year-old daughter, Dana Sims Hospodar, who lives next door to her parents' home. "She would have her morning latte, go to Mass, and begin tooling around Wayne for the day in her silver car, generally on her cell phone, still trying to reach all of us."
Sims' evening revolved around dinner with her husband, Robert J. Sims. Then she made a checklist for the following day. Finally, every night, she flicked the house lights — letting her daughter next door know she was going to bed with her book and her rosaries.
Sims, 73, died on June 21, 2005 of cancer at her St. Davids home. She was the secretary-treasurer of Sims Financial Services in St. Davids, founded by her husband in 1960.
"She was our life and we were hers. … She was our glue," added Dana, a member of St. Katharine of Siena Parish in Wayne. "She was our heart and soul. She was our biggest cheerleader. She was our confidante. She was our teacher. She was our faith. She was our best friend."
Though weak, short of breath and in pain, Gloria Sims called a family meeting three days before she died. When the family members gathered at her bedside, she told them: "‘I love each and every one of you very much, and I am very proud of you. I want you to stick by each other, and remember, family always comes first." Dana said her mother "asked us to be kind, never forget our faith, and have Masses said for her. She said she wanted us ‘to continue on with our lives,' and then asked each of us to give her a kiss."
Along with her husband, Sims was a charter member of the Stewards of St. John Neumann, an organization of men and women within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who have been called to a profound commitment to Christian stewardship. Their devotion to the Church compels members to devote not only their time, talent and treasure to local parishes, but also to extend that support to the goals of the Archdiocese.
Sims also belonged to the Philadelphia Chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic CEOs; the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute Auxiliary, and the Children of Mary Group. She was also a Papal Countess and Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, an organization that supports religious shrines in Jerusalem.
A lifelong resident of St. Davids, Sims was an alumna of Sacred Heart Academy and graduated from Rosemont College.
She married Ernest Lundell in 1958. He died in 1963. In 1965, she married Robert Sims. He adopted her three children, and the couple went on to have three more children as well as raising a foster child who became part of the family.
Archbishop John P. Foley was the principal celebrant at Sims' funeral Mass Friday, June 24 at St. Katharine of Siena Church. Concelebrants included two other archbishops, several bishops and numerous priests, including her pastor, Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski. Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia Anthony Bevilacqua was also present on the altar.
In his homily, Archbishop Foley, a personal friend of the family, recalled that 24 years ago, when Sims was first afflicted with cancer, she told those close to her that she had reminded God she had a 6-year-old daughter to raise and He had to give her more time. "And he did. Her time for dying had not yet come," Archbishop Foley said. Now, he said, for her, "there will be no more cancer to ravage her body, no more chemotherapy, no more needles, no more biopsies, no more tests. Gloria has passed her test. … Gloria has entered into eternal glory."
Archbishop Foley said Sims' lifelong devotion to the Church was returned in kind: "Somebody said that Gloria's sickroom looked like a Synod of Bishops." Sims also had a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother, Archbishop Foley added: "She faithfully recited the rosary every day — and she could have recited a different rosary almost every day, since she had received so many from the Pope."
"She stood for God, she stood for Jesus, she stood for the Mother of God, whose intercession she sought regularly," Archbishop Foley said. "She stood for the Church — and she stood for her family, whom she loved very dearly and for whom she prayed every day."
In addition to her husband and daughter Dana (Edward), Sims is survived by three other daughters: Barbara Hogan (Jack), Lisa Byrne (Jeff) and Moira Comerford Sims; three sons: Ernest (Linda), Carter (Jenn) and Peter (Kristin); and 13 grandchildren. In addition to her first husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary (Comerford) MacCarter; and a granddaughter, Lilly Byrne.
According to one of her seven children, "Most of her days began with a daily phone call to each of her children — and she always, always ended every call with, ‘I love you,'" said her 43-year-old daughter, Dana Sims Hospodar, who lives next door to her parents' home. "She would have her morning latte, go to Mass, and begin tooling around Wayne for the day in her silver car, generally on her cell phone, still trying to reach all of us."
Sims' evening revolved around dinner with her husband, Robert J. Sims. Then she made a checklist for the following day. Finally, every night, she flicked the house lights — letting her daughter next door know she was going to bed with her book and her rosaries.
Sims, 73, died on June 21, 2005 of cancer at her St. Davids home. She was the secretary-treasurer of Sims Financial Services in St. Davids, founded by her husband in 1960.
"She was our life and we were hers. … She was our glue," added Dana, a member of St. Katharine of Siena Parish in Wayne. "She was our heart and soul. She was our biggest cheerleader. She was our confidante. She was our teacher. She was our faith. She was our best friend."
Though weak, short of breath and in pain, Gloria Sims called a family meeting three days before she died. When the family members gathered at her bedside, she told them: "‘I love each and every one of you very much, and I am very proud of you. I want you to stick by each other, and remember, family always comes first." Dana said her mother "asked us to be kind, never forget our faith, and have Masses said for her. She said she wanted us ‘to continue on with our lives,' and then asked each of us to give her a kiss."
Along with her husband, Sims was a charter member of the Stewards of St. John Neumann, an organization of men and women within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who have been called to a profound commitment to Christian stewardship. Their devotion to the Church compels members to devote not only their time, talent and treasure to local parishes, but also to extend that support to the goals of the Archdiocese.
Sims also belonged to the Philadelphia Chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic CEOs; the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute Auxiliary, and the Children of Mary Group. She was also a Papal Countess and Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, an organization that supports religious shrines in Jerusalem.
A lifelong resident of St. Davids, Sims was an alumna of Sacred Heart Academy and graduated from Rosemont College.
She married Ernest Lundell in 1958. He died in 1963. In 1965, she married Robert Sims. He adopted her three children, and the couple went on to have three more children as well as raising a foster child who became part of the family.
Archbishop John P. Foley was the principal celebrant at Sims' funeral Mass Friday, June 24 at St. Katharine of Siena Church. Concelebrants included two other archbishops, several bishops and numerous priests, including her pastor, Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski. Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia Anthony Bevilacqua was also present on the altar.
In his homily, Archbishop Foley, a personal friend of the family, recalled that 24 years ago, when Sims was first afflicted with cancer, she told those close to her that she had reminded God she had a 6-year-old daughter to raise and He had to give her more time. "And he did. Her time for dying had not yet come," Archbishop Foley said. Now, he said, for her, "there will be no more cancer to ravage her body, no more chemotherapy, no more needles, no more biopsies, no more tests. Gloria has passed her test. … Gloria has entered into eternal glory."
Archbishop Foley said Sims' lifelong devotion to the Church was returned in kind: "Somebody said that Gloria's sickroom looked like a Synod of Bishops." Sims also had a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother, Archbishop Foley added: "She faithfully recited the rosary every day — and she could have recited a different rosary almost every day, since she had received so many from the Pope."
"She stood for God, she stood for Jesus, she stood for the Mother of God, whose intercession she sought regularly," Archbishop Foley said. "She stood for the Church — and she stood for her family, whom she loved very dearly and for whom she prayed every day."
In addition to her husband and daughter Dana (Edward), Sims is survived by three other daughters: Barbara Hogan (Jack), Lisa Byrne (Jeff) and Moira Comerford Sims; three sons: Ernest (Linda), Carter (Jenn) and Peter (Kristin); and 13 grandchildren. In addition to her first husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary (Comerford) MacCarter; and a granddaughter, Lilly Byrne.
Gloria MacCarter Lundell Sims was the daughter of Concert Singer, Mary Josephyne Comerford, and Delaware County District Attorney, William MacCarter.
According to one of her seven children, "Most of her days began with a daily phone call to each of her children — and she always, always ended every call with, ‘I love you,'" said her 43-year-old daughter, Dana Sims Hospodar, who lives next door to her parents' home. "She would have her morning latte, go to Mass, and begin tooling around Wayne for the day in her silver car, generally on her cell phone, still trying to reach all of us."
Sims' evening revolved around dinner with her husband, Robert J. Sims. Then she made a checklist for the following day. Finally, every night, she flicked the house lights — letting her daughter next door know she was going to bed with her book and her rosaries.
Sims, 73, died on June 21, 2005 of cancer at her St. Davids home. She was the secretary-treasurer of Sims Financial Services in St. Davids, founded by her husband in 1960.
"She was our life and we were hers. … She was our glue," added Dana, a member of St. Katharine of Siena Parish in Wayne. "She was our heart and soul. She was our biggest cheerleader. She was our confidante. She was our teacher. She was our faith. She was our best friend."
Though weak, short of breath and in pain, Gloria Sims called a family meeting three days before she died. When the family members gathered at her bedside, she told them: "‘I love each and every one of you very much, and I am very proud of you. I want you to stick by each other, and remember, family always comes first." Dana said her mother "asked us to be kind, never forget our faith, and have Masses said for her. She said she wanted us ‘to continue on with our lives,' and then asked each of us to give her a kiss."
Along with her husband, Sims was a charter member of the Stewards of St. John Neumann, an organization of men and women within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who have been called to a profound commitment to Christian stewardship. Their devotion to the Church compels members to devote not only their time, talent and treasure to local parishes, but also to extend that support to the goals of the Archdiocese.
Sims also belonged to the Philadelphia Chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic CEOs; the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute Auxiliary, and the Children of Mary Group. She was also a Papal Countess and Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, an organization that supports religious shrines in Jerusalem.
A lifelong resident of St. Davids, Sims was an alumna of Sacred Heart Academy and graduated from Rosemont College.
She married Ernest Lundell in 1958. He died in 1963. In 1965, she married Robert Sims. He adopted her three children, and the couple went on to have three more children as well as raising a foster child who became part of the family.
Archbishop John P. Foley was the principal celebrant at Sims' funeral Mass Friday, June 24 at St. Katharine of Siena Church. Concelebrants included two other archbishops, several bishops and numerous priests, including her pastor, Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski. Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia Anthony Bevilacqua was also present on the altar.
In his homily, Archbishop Foley, a personal friend of the family, recalled that 24 years ago, when Sims was first afflicted with cancer, she told those close to her that she had reminded God she had a 6-year-old daughter to raise and He had to give her more time. "And he did. Her time for dying had not yet come," Archbishop Foley said. Now, he said, for her, "there will be no more cancer to ravage her body, no more chemotherapy, no more needles, no more biopsies, no more tests. Gloria has passed her test. … Gloria has entered into eternal glory."
Archbishop Foley said Sims' lifelong devotion to the Church was returned in kind: "Somebody said that Gloria's sickroom looked like a Synod of Bishops." Sims also had a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother, Archbishop Foley added: "She faithfully recited the rosary every day — and she could have recited a different rosary almost every day, since she had received so many from the Pope."
"She stood for God, she stood for Jesus, she stood for the Mother of God, whose intercession she sought regularly," Archbishop Foley said. "She stood for the Church — and she stood for her family, whom she loved very dearly and for whom she prayed every day."
In addition to her husband and daughter Dana (Edward), Sims is survived by three other daughters: Barbara Hogan (Jack), Lisa Byrne (Jeff) and Moira Comerford Sims; three sons: Ernest (Linda), Carter (Jenn) and Peter (Kristin); and 13 grandchildren. In addition to her first husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary (Comerford) MacCarter; and a granddaughter, Lilly Byrne.
According to one of her seven children, "Most of her days began with a daily phone call to each of her children — and she always, always ended every call with, ‘I love you,'" said her 43-year-old daughter, Dana Sims Hospodar, who lives next door to her parents' home. "She would have her morning latte, go to Mass, and begin tooling around Wayne for the day in her silver car, generally on her cell phone, still trying to reach all of us."
Sims' evening revolved around dinner with her husband, Robert J. Sims. Then she made a checklist for the following day. Finally, every night, she flicked the house lights — letting her daughter next door know she was going to bed with her book and her rosaries.
Sims, 73, died on June 21, 2005 of cancer at her St. Davids home. She was the secretary-treasurer of Sims Financial Services in St. Davids, founded by her husband in 1960.
"She was our life and we were hers. … She was our glue," added Dana, a member of St. Katharine of Siena Parish in Wayne. "She was our heart and soul. She was our biggest cheerleader. She was our confidante. She was our teacher. She was our faith. She was our best friend."
Though weak, short of breath and in pain, Gloria Sims called a family meeting three days before she died. When the family members gathered at her bedside, she told them: "‘I love each and every one of you very much, and I am very proud of you. I want you to stick by each other, and remember, family always comes first." Dana said her mother "asked us to be kind, never forget our faith, and have Masses said for her. She said she wanted us ‘to continue on with our lives,' and then asked each of us to give her a kiss."
Along with her husband, Sims was a charter member of the Stewards of St. John Neumann, an organization of men and women within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who have been called to a profound commitment to Christian stewardship. Their devotion to the Church compels members to devote not only their time, talent and treasure to local parishes, but also to extend that support to the goals of the Archdiocese.
Sims also belonged to the Philadelphia Chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic CEOs; the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute Auxiliary, and the Children of Mary Group. She was also a Papal Countess and Lady of the Holy Sepulchre, an organization that supports religious shrines in Jerusalem.
A lifelong resident of St. Davids, Sims was an alumna of Sacred Heart Academy and graduated from Rosemont College.
She married Ernest Lundell in 1958. He died in 1963. In 1965, she married Robert Sims. He adopted her three children, and the couple went on to have three more children as well as raising a foster child who became part of the family.
Archbishop John P. Foley was the principal celebrant at Sims' funeral Mass Friday, June 24 at St. Katharine of Siena Church. Concelebrants included two other archbishops, several bishops and numerous priests, including her pastor, Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski. Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia Anthony Bevilacqua was also present on the altar.
In his homily, Archbishop Foley, a personal friend of the family, recalled that 24 years ago, when Sims was first afflicted with cancer, she told those close to her that she had reminded God she had a 6-year-old daughter to raise and He had to give her more time. "And he did. Her time for dying had not yet come," Archbishop Foley said. Now, he said, for her, "there will be no more cancer to ravage her body, no more chemotherapy, no more needles, no more biopsies, no more tests. Gloria has passed her test. … Gloria has entered into eternal glory."
Archbishop Foley said Sims' lifelong devotion to the Church was returned in kind: "Somebody said that Gloria's sickroom looked like a Synod of Bishops." Sims also had a lifelong devotion to the Blessed Mother, Archbishop Foley added: "She faithfully recited the rosary every day — and she could have recited a different rosary almost every day, since she had received so many from the Pope."
"She stood for God, she stood for Jesus, she stood for the Mother of God, whose intercession she sought regularly," Archbishop Foley said. "She stood for the Church — and she stood for her family, whom she loved very dearly and for whom she prayed every day."
In addition to her husband and daughter Dana (Edward), Sims is survived by three other daughters: Barbara Hogan (Jack), Lisa Byrne (Jeff) and Moira Comerford Sims; three sons: Ernest (Linda), Carter (Jenn) and Peter (Kristin); and 13 grandchildren. In addition to her first husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary (Comerford) MacCarter; and a granddaughter, Lilly Byrne.
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