Gloria MacNeill

Gloria F. McMacNeill, 89, died in Ilwaco on June 28, 2015. A native of Crescent City, California, she was born November 25, 1925, the daughter of Irving and Mabel Hendricks. As a young girl she grew up on a ranch on the Yurok Reservation, later living in Trinidad, California. A Native American and member of the Yurok Tribe of California, Gloria graduated from high school at the Sherman Indian School in Riverside, California. She received her nursing education from Franklin Hospital School of Nursing in San Francisco and became a registered nurse. Moving to the Seattle area, Gloria was an operating room nurse and later director of nursing at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington where she also helped design their new facility. Later she was director of nursing at Stevens Memorial Hospital. On June 13th of this year Gloria was presented a certificate that recognized her recent enrollment in the Woman in Military Service for America Memorial which is at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. This memorial honors women who are serving or who have served their country and has a special Honor Roll of Cadet Nurses. As a youth, Gloria was a member of the United States Public Health Service Cadet Nurse Corps. This was a program created to train young women as nurses to fill critical need for nurses during World War II. Gloria joined in 1943 prior to her formal education at Franklin Hospital in San Francisco. Her award was made possible by Don R. Grable American Legion Post and Auxiliary Unit #48 of Ilwaco. Following retirement, Gloria came to the Peninsula about 1980., settling in Ocean Park. Here she enjoyed walking the beach, art, sewing, knitting, cooking and staying abreast of Indian affairs. She moved to Long Beach in 2010. Surviving are sons Don MacNeill of Black Diamond, Washington, Murray MacNeill of Portland, OR, Frank MacNeill of Everett, WA and Robert MacNeill; brother Larry Hendrix of Klamath, CA (Yurok Reservation); sister Susie Long of Trinidad, CA; grandchildren Joaquin, Anna, John, Roderick, Josh, MaH, Dillon, Joseph and Leah; and numerous great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband John R. MacNeill (1917-1988), sons John MacNeill Jr. and Irving MacNeill, brother Irving Hendrix and sister Veronica Brett. Gloria requested no service. She will be inurned in Kent, Washington. Her guestbook is available at www.penttilaschapel.com.