Gloria Harris and Gloria (Faison) Franklin, along with Gloria Harris’ sister, all good friends, attended Montclair High School together. They graduated in 1951, but the two Glorias drifted apart as college and careers took them in different directions and even different countries.
Gloria Franklin enrolled first into Drake Secretarial School and then went on to Upsala College and Seton Hall University. Her career path brought her to Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company where she worked as a manager until she retired.
Gloria Harris traveled a different path, she completed nursing school and began to travel the world, using her professional skills as a nurse. Gloria finally made her way back to her roots in Montclair where she remained until moving to the Cliffs.
Gloria Franklin enjoyed living locally as well, raising her children and attending with them, First Baptist Church Bloomfield, where she had many friends, several of whom came to live at The Cliffs at Eagle Rock Assisted Living Community. They all encouraged Gloria to join them. In 2019, Gloria decided it was time to do just that! Gloria says of her decision, “I felt strongly I wanted to move to an environment where the Christian message would be lived out in the hearts and minds of others around me”. And so, the decision to move to the Cliffs with its long history of compassionate care was upheld and valued. “I feel very good here, Gloria says, I made the right choice, although Covid-19 has taken its toll on us and our ability to fully enjoy the community, as a community.
For Gloria Harris, although her journey was quite different, her family encouraged her to seek out a nurturing community that could undergird her growing need for support with the tasks of daily living. Her family learned about the Cliffs from Oasis, a geriatric placement service.
Together, both Gloria Franklin and Gloria Harris bring an enlivening dimension to the Cliffs community with their wit, their good humor and their kindness to others.
Article written by: Charlotte Crosswell