Gloria Marie (Bianchi) Smuk

Gloria Smuk, lifelong resident of Ely, passed away at Carefree Living on September 11, 2020.  Sadly she was a victim of COVID-19.

 She was born on June 13, 1939 to Peter & Marcella Bianchi of Ely.  She married William Smuk on October 29, 1955.  She was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. She raised five children and lost two daughters to cancer.

 Gloria was very active in her community.  Starting with PTA and then President of many organizations; VFW Auxiliary, Slovenian women, Yugoslav National Home,  and also volunteering at the church for many positions. She worked at Barbara Ann Bakery and catered many events. She worked as a “lunch lady” at the Ely school for many years and later Northern Expressions.  

She made the best apple potica and was an excellent cook.  She loved to sing.  She always enjoyed listening to and dancing to polka music and went all over the Range to do that.  As soon as she heard polka music she would get up and dance, smile, and sing.  There was always live music played in their home with people singing and dancing in her kitchen. She had a very infectious laugh and always had a positive attitude. But if she didn’t like something that you were doing she would give you the evil eye and you knew right then and there you better stop it.  She was a feisty gal! She was so very kind, and always jumped in to help family and friends.  She had a knack for coming up with ideas and slogans to help the organizations to raise money.  She loved sitting on her front porch and having her glass of Sangria and watching the hummingbirds and waving and talking with people that came down the church hill on Camp Street. She ended up getting dementia but always kept that smile on her face and twinkle in her eye.  She will be sadly missed.

She is survived by daughters, Christine Tournat and Julie Smuk; son, Mark Smuk; grandchildren, Damian Tournat, Lisa Schuh and Kenneth Grigsby; great-grandchildren: Jonathan Rositvit, Ruby & Sullivan Schuh, and Kayson Grigsby.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Smuk; parents, Peter and Marcella Bianchi; sister, Mary Louis Gray; daughters; Kathleen Stevenson and Desiree Grigsby and her son in law, Michael Grigsby.

Internment will be on Saturday, September 19, 2020 in the Ely Cemetery at 1 p.m. Under these extraordinary circumstances with COVID-19,  family members and close friends only please. Procession to the cemetery at 12:45 p.m. from the Catholic Church. 

Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gloria Marie (Bianchi) Smuk, please visit our floral store.