Gloria L. Chelminiak

Gloria Lee Nottingham Chelminiak died Monday September 4 at age 92, in South Bend Indiana following a brief illness. She had been a nurse in South Bend, predominantly in women’s health, for more than 40 years.
Born in 1930 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Lyle and Alene Nottingham, Gloria graduated from Central High School in Kalamazoo and moved to South Bend to study nursing at Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, where she received her RN in 1952. In December, 1952 she married John Henry Chelminiak of South Bend. Following their marriage, the couple moved to Indianapolis, where Gloria worked as a nurse in the Industrial Clinic and John taught at P.S. 45. In 1954, they moved to Mishawaka, Indiana, where John began a career teaching biology and coaching at Mishawaka High School. John died in 1981 of pancreatic cancer at age 54.
Gloria’s nursing career spanned some 43 years and ranged from part time nursing in OB/GYN at Memorial Hospital to caring for students at Saint Mary’s College Health Services beginning in the 1970s. She was named Director of Student Health Services in 1985. She returned to school and received her B.S in Health Arts from Saint Francis College in 1987. Gloria retired from Saint Mary’s in 1995, and continued to work part time as a school nurse at Stanley Clark School.
In June 1987, Gloria married Jack Quimby, and they began a 36-year love story rich with family, friends and travel between their beloved Anna Maria Island in Florida and South Bend. Gloria was an avid reader, and she followed national politics diligently. She loved music, Broadway musicals and going to the movies. Her lovely water color paintings of the beach and rustic barns in Vermont are treasured by her grandchildren.

Gloria is survived by her dearest husband Jack Quimby, her daughter Lee Chelminiak, her son Bill Chelminiak, their spouses Doug Herberich and Maureen Delahanty respectively, her stepdaughter Lynne Zeiger and the couple’s nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Jack Nottingham of Portage, Michigan and her sister Robin Nottingham of San Diego, California.
 A funeral mass to honor Gloria’s life will be held Wednesday September 27 at 11:00AM at St. Matthew Cathedral, 1701 Miami Street in South Bend followed by a burial at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Gloria’s memory to: the Food Bank of Northern Indiana 702 Chapin Street, South Bend, IN 46601 (www.FeedIndiana.org) or St. Vincent de Paul Society 520 Crescent Avenue, South Bend, IN  46617 (www.svdpsb).

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