It is with great sorrow that the Woodward family announces the passing of its kindhearted and endlessly devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, Gloria Woodward.
Gloria Ann Woodward née Vogel, of Middletown, formerly of Little Silver, passed away March 18, 2023, surrounded by her loved ones.
Gloria was a woman of grace and integrity. Even in childhood, she knew who she was and lived every day with an unwavering sense of purpose to make life a little bit brighter for anyone fortunate enough to have crossed her path. She was a comforting shoulder to cry on, an encouraging voice on the other end of the phone, and a reliable hand to hold for anyone reaching out. Her love and legacy will be dearly missed but never forgotten.
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, and raised in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, the second oldest of seven children, Gloria and her husband John “Tom” made Monmouth County their home for over 60 years.
As the president and founder of her own brokerage, Woodward Realty Group, and previous broker of Four Seasons Realty, Gloria took great pride in helping others find and sell their homes. She initially started her own brokerage when you could count the number of female-owned businesses on one hand, going on to excel in the industry and earning numerous accolades, including Realtor of the Year, Realtor-Associate of the Year, and the Leadership Award by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. She proudly served as the president of the Monmouth County Association of Realtors and president of the New Jersey Association of Realtors. Her involvement in the real estate industry was one of total commitment, having served on every committee and chairing many through the years. Her impressive career was one she fostered and was proud of until her final days, having never retired from the profession.
Gloria will be remembered for a great many things, but chief among them is her infinite generosity which was matched only by her dedication to helping others better themselves. Both personally and through her company, she established multiple scholarship programs for higher education, donated to charities and eagerly shared her good fortune. The Gloria and John Woodward Endowed Scholarship is a perpetual four-year scholarship at Brigham Young University, alongside scholarship programs offered to the community through her company and another to-be-established fund in her name.
She loved spending time at her home in Ocean City, Maryland. Known for her green thumb, she was the former president of the Little Silver Garden Club and a devoted member of her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, having served until recently as the president of its women’s group.
Above all else was her devotion to her family which gave her the greatest joy. Gloria is survived by her husband of 65 years John T. “Tom”; her children, Lisa (Dr. Paul Carpinello) of Villanova, Pennsylvania, John “JT” of Eatontown, Richard (Catherine) of Middletown, Pamela (Louis Villano) of Middletown; and 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial visitation will be held to celebrate Gloria’s life from 10 to 11:30 a.m. April 1 at John F Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gloria’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.org.
The article originally appeared in the March 30 – April 5, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
