Gloria Abernathy Alley-Nelson passed away on October 25, 2023 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The daughter of Gregory Gayle Abernathy and Gertrude Brown Abernathy, Gloria was born on September 8, 1927 in Richmond, VA.

While still at Glen Allen high school, Gloria met the love of her life, Eugene “Jeep” Alley. After high school, Gloria and Jeep married, started a family and moved to Virginia Beach. A condition of her agreement to the relocation was that Jeep drive her back to Richmond every weekend to see her beloved family. The trip went on weekly unless family came to see her for a weekend getaway in Virginia Beach.  Gloria was a retired recreation supervisor in the senior citizens division of the City of Virginia Beach Department of Parks & Recreation. She loved her time in recreation, especially the time with her many coworker friends and on the many senior citizen trips she chaperoned. She was a member of Thalia United Methodist Church and Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club.

She treasured her time raising three sons in the Thalia Manor neighborhood she called home. In that simpler time, the neighborhood could count on hearing her calling them to come home for a meal yelling, “Geee-innn” or “Jerrrrr-eeen,” from the front porch. During that time she enjoyed a rubber of bridge with friends, being a Cub Scout den mother, and watching basketball games at Princess Anne High School. Fans knew it was an Alley who made the jumpshot when they heard her shriek, “Woo-woo,” from the corner of the bleachers. Gloria’s favorite time of year was early summer because her siblings and extended family regularly shared that time together at different cottages on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Gloria loved entertaining and cooking for family and friends. Pound cakes, coconut cakes and parfaits were her specialties. Her Thalia home was a focal point for sons’ friends who came for shooting pool in the garage, shooting three-pointers in the back yard, or just hanging out while enjoying cake or a parfait from the freezer.  At her later home in Great Neck, she proved to be on the cutting edge of sport when in the early ‘90s her sons and grandchildren played on the backyard pickleball court.

Gloria was predeceased by her parents, husband Eugene W. “Jeep” Alley, Sr., husband Fred Nelson, sisters Margaret Liggan and Muriel Yarbrough, brother Gayle Abernathy, daughter Daliane Fulgham, and grandson J. Graham Alley. Left to cherish her memory are sons Eugene W. Alley, Jr. (Laurie), Jerry G. Alley (Deb), and G. Scott Alley, sister Barbara Satterwhite, grandchildren Christine Fulgham, Erin Moore, Ashley Alley, Greg Alley, Whit Alley, Leah Alley and Kara Alley, great-grandchildren Brody Moore, Presley Moore, Lucy Shuman, Coen Alley, Gabriel Shuman and Luna Alley, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

The memorial service is private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in memory of Gloria to the American Heart Association or a charity of your choice.