Gloria McKimmie

With grace and dignity, Gloria Louise Sarrocco McKimmie, 88, of New Philadelphia, Ohio, entered the gates of Heaven Wednesday, December2, 2020, while in the care of Community Hospice’s Truman House in New Philadelphia, surrounded by her family. She stated recently that she knew many loved ones would be waiting at the gates to greet her.

Born on September 17, 1932, in LaBelle, Pennsylvania, and delivered by her maternal grandmother, Maria Casanova Fantini, a midwife who immigrated from Northern Italy, Gloria was the daughter of the late Maria Fantini Sarrocco and Medio Sarrocco, Sr.

Gloria was raised in Ravenna, Ohio, and after graduating from Ravenna High School in 1950, she entered nurses’ training at the St. Thomas School of Nursing in Akron, Ohio. She graduated from nursing school in September 1953 and immediately began her nursing career at the former Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ravenna.

Gloria’s life changed forever one innocent day as she walked through a doorway at the hospital and literally ran into an Ohio State Highway Patrolman who was there to investigate an accident. Little did she know at the time, that this was her future husband, Harold McKimmie. She and Harold were married on November 26, 1955. They went on to have two children and later relocated to New Philadelphia after Harold was promoted and transferred to Tuscarawas County in 1967.

Gloria shifted gears and became a stay-at-home mom and homemaker until January 1979 when she returned to work as a registered nurse at Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio. She worked there until her retirement in January 1995. Gloria’s two children were active in school activities and she never missed a baseball game, football game, wrestling match, band show, choir concert, or play in which her son and daughter were involved and later enjoyed watching her grandchildren with their activities.

Gloria remained active after her retirement. When she wasn’t reading a book or working out at the Tuscarawas County YMCA, she was cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Indians, and holding out continual hope for the Cleveland Browns. Gloria was also a decades-long season ticket holder for the New Philadelphia Quaker football team. Until this past summer, she and Harold always raised a large vegetable garden and enjoyed canning dozens of quarts of tomatoes every year.

Though Gloria was a nurse for over 30 years and had become quite tolerant of injuries and illnesses, she was petrified of mice and would jump on the nearest chair or countertop when she saw one in the house. Fortunately, her knight-in-shining armor had no such fear and would always take care of guiding the wayward rodent away from the screams and frenzy.

There were only three items she never crossed off her bucket list. As a non-swimmer, she wanted to jump off a diving board (with plenty of floatation devices on and someone waiting to help her in the deep end); she also wanted to experience going up in a hot air balloon; the last thing she wanted to do was to ride a horse. Other than those things, she felt very content with all that she had done in her life.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Harold L. McKimmie of New Philadelphia; two children, Cindi (Ted) Knisely and Spencer McKimmie of New Philadelphia; two grandchildren, Joe Knisely of Maple Heights, and Alex Knisely of Stow. She is also survived by two nephews and a niece: Damon (Cathy) Sarrocco of Akron; Dean (Mara) Sarrocco of Glendale, Arizona; and Davene (Rick) Smith of Streetsboro, Ohio.

In addition to her parents, Gloria was preceded in death by her brother, Medio Sarrocco, Jr., and her sister, Dolores Sarrocco.

In keeping with Gloria’s wishes, private services will be held. The Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory in New Philadelphia is handling arrangements.

Donations can be made in Gloria’s memory to Sacred Heart Church, 139 Third Street NE, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663 or to Community Hospice, 716 Commercial Avenue SW, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.