Gloria Williamson Fletcher's Obituary
Gloria W. Fletcher, 65, of Gainesville passed away on February 26, 2015, during the course of a scheduled heart procedure. She is survived by her husband of 37 years, George E. "Cotton" Fletcher, her daughters Cheryl Hartley (Robert), Cindy Thompson, and Deborah Diamond (Marc), son Blake Fletcher (Ashley), nine grandchildren, Matthew Hartley (Kerri), Bryce Hartley, Andrew Thompson, Ross Hartley, Myles Thompson, Chelsea Fletcher, Ryan Diamond, Bella Fletcher, Reagan Diamond, one great-grandchild, Maggie Hartley, sister Vera Vaughn (Lonnie), and brother and sister-in-law Richard Fletcher and Mary Fletcher.
Gloria was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but raised in Gainesville by her parents Bill and Lillian Williamson, to whom she remained devoted until and even after their deaths. She was a proud graduate of Gainesville High School in 1967, and received an AA/AS degree from Santa Fe Community College in 1975, followed by a BA from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1977.
She joined the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in 1977 as a Mental Health Program Specialist, later rising to the position of Program Supervisor and, in 1982, Program Co-Ordinator overseeing an $83M budget and 3200 employees in 16 counties including and surrounding Alachua County and Gainesville. It was during this time that her passion for children's rights and advocacy began to develop, leading her to enroll at the University of Florida Law School, where she received her Juris Doctor degree in 1985.
After her graduation from law school Gloria was appointed an Assistant State Attorney by then State Attorney Gene Whitworth, who she always considered a mentor. She initially prosecuted misdemeanor and traffic cases but was quickly promoted to a felony caseload. While she was charged with the prosecution of sometimes violent young offenders she was also always focused on the reasons behind their acts and strove to fashion resolutions that both protected and served the community and addressed the individual circumstances of each case and defendant. Her belief was always that there was a difference between people who made bad mistakes and someone who was a bad person.
In 1990 Gloria left the State Attorney's Office and entered private practice. Over the following 25 years she shared professional associations with many friends who remained by her side always, most notably former State Attorney and State Senator Rod Smith, who was also a mentor to her. At the time of her death she was a sole practitioner specializing in children's rights litigation, employment law and criminal defense.
Gloria loved and served the Gainesville community and the state of Florida in almost innumerable ways. These included her participation as a member and chair of various Florida and local Bar Association committees, appointment to multiple gubernatorial panels, the United Way, the Alachua County Juvenile Justice Committee, Partners for Adolescent Lifestyles, and most recently as Vice-Chair of Florida's Children First, a statewide advocacy group focused on the welfare of disadvantaged youth. In 2014, she lead the effort resulting in the passage of legislation requiring the appointment of an attorney to represent children with special needs in court proceedings. She was exceedingly proud of what the young people she helped could and did accomplish. She was recognized as one of the top lawyers in Florida in 2013 and was listed as a preeminent woman lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, a professional legal association. She was an active member of the Florida and Alachua County Republican Parties, and in addition to her legal interests she participated in many community and statewide business ventures, including as a founding Board member of the Alarion Bank and a Board member of Citizens Insurance Florida.
Throughout her life Gloria had two main passions: her family and the welfare of children. She was devoted to her husband, proud of her own children, and a loving grandmother and great-grandmother. Her family was the center of her life. Second only to her family was her dedication to children's advocacy, and she devoted seemingly endless time and energy to that cause.
Gloria's family and friends, of whom there are too many to name, will always cherish her loyalty to them, her passion for what she believed in, and her commitment to, as she would frequently say, doing the right thing. That her death resulted from heart failure seems fitting for someone who had given so selflessly of her heart to others. Although gone from them too soon she will always be a part of their lives.
Gloria loved flowers. Donations in her name may also be sent to Florida Children’s First, Inc., 1801 University Drive Suite 3B, Coral Springs, Florida 33071.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate the life of Gloria Fletcher on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, 11:00 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 4000 NW 53rd Avenue with Dr. Dan G. Johnson officiating. A reception will follow at the church. The family will receive friends Tuesday, March 3, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME WESTAREA, 823 NW 143rd Street. Interment will be private.
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