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June 23, 2026
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 2-6pm on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ. Funeral services will be held 9am on Monday, June 29, 2026 at the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ where at 10am a funeral mass will be celebrated.
Interment will be in Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave, Mahwah, NJ.
Gloria Schleser (nee Di Pasquale), age 94, of Kinnelon, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Gloria was the middle of three children born to Flaviano and Theresa Di Pasquale. She spent her early years in Paterson, where she attended Eastside High School and graduated with the Class of 1949. While still in high school, Gloria began working as a peanut weigher and packager at Planters Peanuts in Paterson. She often fondly recalled her first paycheck of $9.47, remembering how she proudly bought a dress, food, and shoes—and still had money left over—an early reflection of her independence and strong sense of responsibility.
Following graduation, Gloria began a long and distinguished career with Woolworth’s department store in New York City, starting as a waitress at the candy counter. In 1949, while working there, she met her boss and future husband, Walter Schleser. Their relationship blossomed over the years, and after a long courtship, they were married on November 12, 1966. They honeymooned in Niagara Falls and shared a lifetime of love, partnership, and adventure.
Gloria dedicated more than fifty years to Woolworth’s, ultimately rising to the position of Executive Director of Food Services. She was deeply respected and genuinely loved by her coworkers, colleagues, and peers, admired for her professionalism, warmth, and unwavering work ethic. She retired in 1993, honoring a promise she had made to Walter following his passing in 1992.
Gloria and Walter made their home in Wayne, New Jersey, where they lived for thirty years after moving from Riverdale. Following Walter’s passing, Gloria moved to Butler, where she resided for twenty-one years before spending her final three years in Kinnelon. In retirement, she continued her compassionate nature by taking on private work as a companion for elderly individuals in her community, a role she found deeply meaningful and fulfilling.
Together, Gloria and Walter cherished a life rich in travel and shared experiences. They explored various European destinations, enjoyed Disney cruises, and traveled extensively across the United States and Mexico through Gloria’s work with Woolworth’s. They also treasured frequent trips to Avalon, New Jersey, where they rented beachfront condos with friends and embraced the beauty of the Jersey Shore.
Gloria lived a full and vibrant life marked by love, dedication, and generosity. Though she and Walter did not have children together, she embraced Walter’s four children as her own and played a loving role in their lives. She also helped raise her niece and two nephews following the unexpected passing of their mother, offering them stability, care, and unconditional love. Later she was a major influence in the upbringing of her two great nephews.
A gifted cook and baker, Gloria was especially known within her family for her Italian cuisine. She took great pride in preparing hundreds of Christmas cookies each year for her extended family and friends, a tradition that became a cherished hallmark of the holiday season.
In her leisure time, Gloria enjoyed playing board games and was especially skilled at Scrabble, Rummikub, and her favorite game, Dominoes. She began each day solving the daily Wordle. She and Walter also shared a love of simple joys, laughter, and companionship that defined their life together.
Above all, Gloria will be remembered as a sweet, selfless, and deeply caring woman who touched the lives of everyone she met. She adored her great-grandchildren and nephews, cherished her dachshunds, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family and friends. Her kindness, strength, and enduring love will be profoundly missed and forever remembered by all who knew her.
Gloria is survived by her nephew Wayne Ray of Pequannock, NJ, three step children Walter Schleser and his wife Carrie of Pennsylvania, Jo-Anne Mc Causland of Virginia, and Jim Schleser and his wife, Nancy of Virginia, two beloved cousins; Patricia Monello, and Frances Monastiro, eight grandchildren; Eric, Adam, Jamie (Daniel), Kira (Will), Will (Kathi), Brian (Mimi), John (Tiffany) and Anastasia (Jim), fifteen great grandchildren; Cain, Beatrice, Violet, Carter, Kelsey, Emma, Claire, Mason, Asher, Emmett, Addison, Camden, Milei, Jayden, and River, two great grandnephews; Joey, and Albert, and two great-great grandnephews, Michael, and Albert IV. She was predeceased by her husband Walter Schleser (1992), her brother Orlando Di Pasquale, her sister Ann Pagano, her two nephews, Harold and Benny, her niece, Marilyn, and her stepson, Bob Schleser (Dori).
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family from 2-6pm on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ. Funeral services will be held 9am on Monday, June 29, 2026 at the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ where at 10am a funeral mass will be celebrated.
Interment will be in Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave, Mahwah, NJ.
June 23, 2026
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 2-6pm on Sunday, June 28, 2026 at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ. Funeral services will be held 9am on Monday, June 29, 2026 at the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne NJ where at 10am a funeral mass will be celebrated.
Interment will be in Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave, Mahwah, NJ.
Gloria Schleser (nee Di Pasquale), age 94, of Kinnelon, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Gloria was the middle of three children born to Flaviano and Theresa Di Pasquale. She spent her early years in Paterson, where she attended Eastside High School and graduated with the Class of 1949. While still in high school, Gloria began working as a peanut weigher and packager at Planters Peanuts in Paterson. She often fondly recalled her first paycheck of $9.47, remembering how she proudly bought a dress, food, and shoes—and still had money left over—an early reflection of her independence and strong sense of responsibility.
Following graduation, Gloria began a long and distinguished career with Woolworth’s department store in New York City, starting as a waitress at the candy counter. In 1949, while working there, she met her boss and future husband, Walter Schleser. Their relationship blossomed over the years, and after a long courtship, they were married on November 12, 1966. They honeymooned in Niagara Falls and shared a lifetime of love, partnership, and adventure.
Gloria dedicated more than fifty years to Woolworth’s, ultimately rising to the position of Executive Director of Food Services. She was deeply respected and genuinely loved by her coworkers, colleagues, and peers, admired for her professionalism, warmth, and unwavering work ethic. She retired in 1993, honoring a promise she had made to Walter following his passing in 1992.
Gloria and Walter made their home in Wayne, New Jersey, where they lived for thirty years after moving from Riverdale. Following Walter’s passing, Gloria moved to Butler, where she resided for twenty-one years before spending her final three years in Kinnelon. In retirement, she continued her compassionate nature by taking on private work as a companion for elderly individuals in her community, a role she found deeply meaningful and fulfilling.
Together, Gloria and Walter cherished a life rich in travel and shared experiences. They explored various European destinations, enjoyed Disney cruises, and traveled extensively across the United States and Mexico through Gloria’s work with Woolworth’s. They also treasured frequent trips to Avalon, New Jersey, where they rented beachfront condos with friends and embraced the beauty of the Jersey Shore.
Gloria lived a full and vibrant life marked by love, dedication, and generosity. Though she and Walter did not have children together, she embraced Walter’s four children as her own and played a loving role in their lives. She also helped raise her niece and two nephews following the unexpected passing of their mother, offering them stability, care, and unconditional love. Later she was a major influence in the upbringing of her two great nephews.
A gifted cook and baker, Gloria was especially known within her family for her Italian cuisine. She took great pride in preparing hundreds of Christmas cookies each year for her extended family and friends, a tradition that became a cherished hallmark of the holiday season.
In her leisure time, Gloria enjoyed playing board games and was especially skilled at Scrabble, Rummikub, and her favorite game, Dominoes. She began each day solving the daily Wordle. She and Walter also shared a love of simple joys, laughter, and companionship that defined their life together.
Above all, Gloria will be remembered as a sweet, selfless, and deeply caring woman who touched the lives of everyone she met. She adored her great-grandchildren and nephews, cherished her dachshunds, and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family and friends. Her kindness, strength, and enduring love will be profoundly missed and forever remembered by all who knew her.
Gloria is survived by her nephew Wayne Ray of Pequannock, NJ, three step children Walter Schleser and his wife Carrie of Pennsylvania, Jo-Anne Mc Causland of Virginia, and Jim Schleser and his wife, Nancy of Virginia, two beloved cousins; Patricia Monello, and Frances Monastiro, eight grandchildren; Eric, Adam, Jamie (Daniel), Kira (Will), Will (Kathi), Brian (Mimi), John (Tiffany) and Anastasia (Jim), fifteen great grandchildren; Cain, Beatrice, Violet, Carter, Kelsey, Emma, Claire, Mason, Asher, Emmett, Addison, Camden, Milei, Jayden, and River, two great grandnephews; Joey, and Albert, and two great-great grandnephews, Michael, and Albert IV. She was predeceased by her husband Walter Schleser (1992), her brother Orlando Di Pasquale, her sister Ann Pagano, her two nephews, Harold and Benny, her niece, Marilyn, and her stepson, Bob Schleser (Dori).
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