Obituary of Gloria Cruz-Harper

Gloria Cruz Harper Gloria Cruz Harper was born to Jacinto and Delores Cruz on March 31, 1953 in Manhattan, New York. The youngest of six siblings, she loved growing up in Manhattan's Baruch Houses between Houston and Delancey streets on the Lower East Side. A favorite memory was swimming at the infamous White House Pool as a kid. Exploring different parts of the city throughout her childhood allowed Gloria to connect with people from many cultures, exposing her to the idea that there was more to life than what she had at the time. This planted a seed of ambition to strive for something more in life. Gloria had her first child, Lisa Wilkerson, on January 2, 1971. Five years later, she had her second child, Rickey Wilkerson, Jr., on February 28, 1976. Around that time, Gloria's brother Junior moved to Staten Island and told his two sisters that they should think about moving to Staten Island as well. So in 1976 she moved to the place where she would meet her soulmate, Boniface Harper. They first met in 1978 at McDonald's, where they both worked. Gloria's hunger for success led her to enroll in the college of Staten Island, where her future husband Boniface was also attending. Gloria and Boniface would go on to have a child, Justin Harper, on July 4, 1982. While working a job and taking care of her family, she was able to graduate college with a nursing degree. Gloria would go on to get a job at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, where she worked until she retired in 2009. In 1992, she moved to 147 Pine Place, a home that she would call her sanctuary. Gloria loved to explore, take pictures, garden, and listen to all a types of music, from salsa to soul. She also had a passion for the English language and writing. She loved to explore and travel. She was a positive, determined, ambitious person who would give anything to those she loved. Gloria passed on July 5, 2021. She will be remembered as a loving, giving, and caring person who adored her family and always wanted the best for them. She lives on in the cherished memories of her husband Boniface Harper; her children Lisa Wilkerson, Rickey Wilkerson, Jr., and Justin Harper; her siblings Anthony (Tony) Ramos and Mercy Cruz; her eight grandchildren Shytuan Breazil, Tasheem Breazil, Khalif Breazil, Donte Breazil, Rickey Breazil, Destiny Breazil, Rebecca Wilkerson, and Raven Wilkerson; her nieces and nephew Tasha Sutler, Leanora Harper, and Kievon Harper; and a host of loving family and friends. She is preceded in death by her brothers Louie, Joseph, and Junior; her granddaughter Tiona Harper; and her sister-in-law Teffera Harper. Lovingly Submitted The Family