Gloria A. Dobbs of Atlanta, GA was born on November 10, 1952 in Asheville, NC. She was the only child of the late Elbert Vester and Lena Marcia Weaver Dobbs of North Alabama, Asheville, NC and Atlanta, GA. She moved to Atlanta at the age of two and her one regret was she could not belong to the Native Atlantan's Club although she had lived here much longer than most. Her knowledge of Atlanta and Georgia was vast and she showed it when she gave private tours to her friends and acquaintances. Her early years were spent in the Kirkwood area of Atlanta and later in DeKalb County. She was a member of Rainbow Park Baptist Church (formerly Kirkwood Baptist) where she sang in the choir and Donaldson Drive Baptist Church, where she performed solos. Most of all she was a Christian who thanks Jesus for her life here, but is now rejoicing that she is with him. She graduated from Towers High School in Decatur in 1969 at the age of sixteen. Later she studied French at l'Universite de Dijon, France (now l'Universite de Bourgogne). She was a graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in photography. Continuing her education, she took accounting courses through Troy State University, Alabama at the Atlanta campus. Her career was spent at the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development in the Regional Accounting Office and later in the Office of Multifamily Housing. She was a charter volunteer at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History where she thrilled visitors with her enthusiasm. During her years at Fernbank she visited most of the barrier islands of Georgia, both public and private, among her many travels. She is survived by her play sister, Sheila B. Clendening and her husband, Brett of Griffin, GA, her long time companion, Roberto Garcia Galvan of Atlanta and Mexico City, numerous cousins all over the United States and loving friends. There will be no funeral service. Gloria will be buried beside her parents at Green Hills Cemetery in Asheville, NC. No flowers. A. S. Turner & Sons.
Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 1/6/2008.