TENANTS HARBOR — Gloria D. Beal passed peacefully Feb. 4, 2015, surrounded by her family at Knox Center for Long Term Care in Rockland.

Born in Wilton on Jan. 18, 1942, she was the daughter of Frederick W. and Hilda Hodgkins Fields. Growing up in Rockland, she attended local schools.

During her younger years, she was an avid roller skater, having been introduced to that sport by her father, who was a state champion skater.
After her marriage to Preston Beal Sr., Gloria devoted her life as a homemaker and mother to her four children. She later worked at various jobs.

For the past 35 years, she has been a loving companion to Edward B. Thorbjornson. She enjoyed keeping beautiful flower gardens around their home. For more than 20 years, Gloria and Ed spent a few weeks each winter at Lighthouse Cove, Fla. With two other couples, for about 10 years, they chartered a yacht in the Virgin Islands, captaining that vessel themselves as they cruised the island waters.

Her greatest loves were Ed, her children and grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, Gloria was predeceased by a brother, Robert Fields in 1969; and a step-son, Gary Thorbjornson in 2005. She is survived by her beloved Ed; two sons, Preston “Buddy” Beal and his wife, Alisa, and Michael Beal, all of Tenants Harbor; two daughters, Bonnie Beal and her companion, Darrel Guptil, of Spruce Head, and Melony Beal of Rockland; one brother, Timothy Fields of Hope; three sisters, Betty Pease and her husband, Douglas, of Union, Chris Lyon and her husband, Mike, of Hollywood, Fla., and Rhoda Fields of Montville; her step-children, Theresa L. Thorbjornson and her companion, Jacques Lemaire, of Rockland, Edward E. Thorbjornson and his wife, Stephanie, of Tenants Harbor, Travis Thorbjornson and his wife, Renee, of Thomaston and Tammy Thorbjornson of Tenants Harbor; a sister-in-law, Diane Fields of Windsor, Conn.; 10 grandchildren, Joshua, Lacey, Megan, Sierra, Jordan, Addison, Taryn, Morgan, Ava and Cole; nine great-grandchildren, Alexa, Andrew, B.J., Brianna, Aaliyah, Kaliegh, Landen, Jayce and Natalie; eight step-grandchildren, Jayce, Anna, Jacqueline, Erica, Garret, Zachary, Lauren and Eli; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be announced in the spring.

Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the St. George Ambulance & Firefighters Assoc., P.O. Box 249, Tenants Harbor, ME 04860.

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home.