Gloria Ebbs of Milford, NH has died in her sleep after battling the ravages of dementia. She was 84.

The youngest daughter of Clinton and Leona Rice, Gloria attended Arlington (MA) High School and Boston’s Chandler School for Women. In 1958 she married Donald J. Ebbs and soon after moved to Chelmsford, MA where they raised their two children, Michael and Donna. During the 18-year marriage, Gloria went back to college and later established her long professional career as a corporate travel expert, first at Millipore Corporation then later at Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.

After retiring, Gloria and her beloved long-time companion, Eli Smyrloglou, lived briefly in Tennessee before relocating back to New England. They traveled extensively throughout their relationship, with her favorites being Hawaii, Paris, Disneyworld and Venice. Although she adored Milford and the house they built there, her heart remained, always, in Chelmsford.

She was madly in love with and devoted to her three grandchildren, Matthew, Seth and Ben, and was devastated when they lost their father, her son Mike, in 2018.

A life-long devotee of two-seater sports cars (with the speeding tickets to prove it) and of The Boston Red Sox, Gloria’s true great love was The New England Patriots. Her home office was a shrine to Jim Plunkett and Tom Brady and her family is grateful that dementia took over before Brady left the Pats for parts unknown, never to be mentioned again. For Gloria, “Tommy” will eternally be TB12 in blue, red and silver. Gloria was a classic old-school New Englander, and it was hard to crack into her friendship circle, but once you were in, you were part of the pack. Gloria was loyal, loving and fierce, yet could be wary of strangers and shy. She loved to dance, suck down instant coffee, and could power slam green Chuckles like a pro. She was an aficionado of oaky chardonnays, salty margaritas, ice cream and vegetable tempura (her version of exotic food). She loved keeping her home and garden neat and organized and came alive each spring along with the wildflowers. She could be charming in social settings, but far preferred to be with Eli and family, enjoying the laughter and chaos from the comfort of her own home. Although she will be missed terribly, in many ways this loathsome disease took Gloria before her body gave out, and the family is comforted knowing that her mind is at last at peace.

Gloria is survived by her partner Eli, her daughter Donna, her sister Barbara Lauritzen, her nephews Richard and Scott, her daughter-in-law Susan, three grandsons Matthew, Seth and Ben, and her great grandchildren, Kayden, Callum, Elliott, and Olivia. The family thinks that in lieu of flowers, it would be awesome for friends to generously donate to their favorite charity in Gloria’s name and suggest World Central Kitchen.

Gloria stipulated that a portion of her ashes be buried with her parents at Pine Ridge Cemetery in Chelmsford. If the rest of her ashes end up scattered at Fenway and Gillette Stadium, the family denies any knowledge of such acts. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it.

Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com.