Gloria Cambre Marino entered Heaven on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 at the age of 95. She was surrounded by her adoring family, only leaving their warm embrace in order to be softly folded in the arms of God. She was born on November 11, 1927, a child of the Great Depression, a member of the Greatest Generation and a longtime resident of Norco, Louisiana.
She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 52 years, Sheriff Johnny Marino, Sr., her parents Felix Cambre, Eva Miller Cambre Jacob, stepfather, James Jacob, sister, Shirley Clouatre, brother, Dale Jacob (survived by Joan), and a stepbrother, Brian Jacob.
She is survived by her loving children, Philip Marino (Linda), Johnny Marino, Jr. (Brenda), Melody Marino, Dawn Marino Kelmell (Chip), and Lance Marino (Mary). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tanya (Steve), Philip, Tammy (Dedrick), Amanda, John III, Sonny, Aaron (Melissa), Alicia, Chris (Jessica), Jacob, Elena (Jack), Rachel (fiancé Dillon) and Dominic, 38 great grandchildren, 6 great-great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Gloria graduated from Destrehan High School in 1946 and married the love of her life, Johnny Marino, Sr. on April 19, 1947. They began their family together and had five children. When the youngest of them reached school age, she joined the workforce as a store clerk/manager at Ben Franklin Store in Norco. For 17 years, she served customers daily and made friends. Part of her legacy is that people remember still how helpful she was; they remember her kindness and gentle smile.
She came home tired each night and made dinner for her family. She helped with homework and did housework. She somehow found time to sew outfits and dresses for the girls using patterns she brought home from the store. A loyal daughter, she telephoned her mother each evening, both speaking in French so the children didn’t quite understand everything that was being said!
In the spring of 1983, she left retail and began a new chapter in her life. She signed on as a full-time campaign aide/consultant/volunteer to her husband’s political career. His ultimate success was largely due to her efforts on his behalf. It was due as well to the love and respect that many had for her. She soon came to enjoy being “First Lady of St. Charles Parish”.
She was then finally able to settle into the much-deserved and hard-earned role of homemaker and grandmother. Always glad to accept visitors or babysit grandkids, hers was a Perfect Light that could not be hidden under a basket. Whatever she had was yours: “Have some cake, have some fruit, take some home!”
She enjoyed spending time on her front porch visiting with family and friends or listening to birdsong or watching squirrels and hummingbirds and flowers. Passerby looked forward to saying “Hi” to Miss Gloria, many of whom have already expressed that her presence on the screen porch will be sorely missed.
Like her husband, one of her passions was the simple pleasure of having family over for Sundays and holidays. In recent years (as her health declined and her age advanced), she developed a love for classic western movies and cowboys on TV. She enjoyed New Orleans Saints Sundays, too!
She was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and friend. Her most fervent desire in the life was that everyone could get along with each other and show each other love. She had a beautiful sense of humor. Most of her peers are already gone but those who remain and all who were blessed to have known her will feel diminished by her loss.
A quiet, impromptu family singalong helped ease her over the threshold between this life and the next. She heard her loved ones softly serenade her as she set sail. She heard the strains of “Amazing Grace”, “What a Wonderful World”, and even a whimsical first verse of one of her all-time favorites; “Tiny Bubbles”. The last words she heard on this earth were “….With a feeling that I’m gonna/Love you till the end of time”.
The family would like to thank the staff at Heart of Hospice, Dr. Christopher Joplin, and St. James Parish Hospital for the tender care they gave to Miss. Gloria.
A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023 at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 13396 River Rd., Destrehan, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 10AM-12PM with a funeral Mass to begin at 12PM. Interment will follow at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery.
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