Gloria Rose Bates
82, passed away on Wednesday morning at IU Health West Hospital. She was one of three children born to William and Mary (Sheridan) Byrkit. Born in New Castle, Indiana, her family moved to the west side of Indianapolis when she was a young child. She graduated from Washington High School in 1952. In her senior year of high school her grandmother convinced her that she should pursue a career in nursing and was able to help secure Gloria's admission into the St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing where she graduated in 1955. Thereafter she worked at St. Vincent Hospital in pediatric care and through a fellow nurse met her future husband whom she married in 1958. Together they had five children. Her family moved to Lafayette in 1966, and Gloria worked for many years at St. Elizabeth Hospital in pediatric care. Thereafter she was a student nurse at Purdue University. She is preceded in death by her husband Michael Bates, her parents, a brother William Byrkit, a sister Patricia Green, and a son-in-law Michael Johnson. She is survived by her children Mark Bates (Linda), Mary Sherman (James), Michael Bates (Suzanne), Rosemarie Johnson and Matthew Bates. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 9-11am Mon. May 22 at St. Malachy Catholic Church, Brownsburg, with funeral mass at 11am. Interment will be at 1:30pm Mon. May 22 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Lafayette, IN.