Gladys Marie Preis

Gladys Marie Preis Born June 14, 1909 in Pittsburgh, PA to Rev. William Henry Schuster and Elsie Thiersch Schuster, died April 1, 2007 at Largo Medical Center, Largo, Florida, age 97. Her father was an Evangelical minister and the family moved when Gladys was about five to Erie, PA. When she was in high school, they moved to Altoona, PA for two years. Her father transferred to the Ohio conference and they moved to Toledo, Ohio. After only a few months in Toledo, he was elected District Superintendent of the Ohio conference and they moved again to Cleveland. Gladys attended Flora Stone Mather College, now part of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland and graduated with a double major in German and Latin. She then attended a secretarial college and got a job in the early years of the Depression working as a secretary for a bank examiner who was shutting down Cleveland banks. She met her husband, Alvin James Preis when her parents first lived in Toledo and she became friendly with Alvin?s sister Helen. When Helen was married in 1933, she asked Gladys to play the organ at her wedding. Alvin attended his sister?s wedding reluctantly but was quite impressed with the organist and asked her to accompany him the next day to visit one of his college friends in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The friend told Alvin to hang onto this girl as she was very smart and knew how to properly pronounce the name of the composer Richard Wagner. Despite her driving his car off the road on the way home to Toledo, Alvin took his friend?s advice and held onto the girl. They were married September 7, 1935 and were married for 46 years until Alvin?s death in 1982. Together they raised three daughters, Carol Jeanne, who died of leukemia in 1959, Marilyn Jane, and Nancy Joan. Gladys and Alvin were true partners in life: they operated a number of businesses together: real estate, accounting, bookkeeping and tax services, rental apartments, and a motel. In addition, Alvin taught in a Toledo high school and at the University of Toledo and Gladys found time to do volunteer work and participate in a number of organizations. She was a 50-year member of the American Association of University Women and was president of the Toledo Branch when it had over 1000 members. She was the treasurer at the Friendly Center Guild in Toledo, a circle leader and United Methodist Women board member at Monroe Street United Methodist Church in Toledo. She remained a loyal member of Monroe Street Church, supporting the church and their organ fund on a regular basis. Gladys was the managing trustee of the Elsie and Harry Baumker Charitable Foundation for over 25 years. Her astute investing doubled the size of the foundation assets while giving away more than the initial inheritance. Her charitable giving and foundation work helped more than 150 institutions in northwestern Ohio and Kentucky. She provided the seed money to create the Family Learning Center at the Toledo Museum of Art, the outreach and outdoor concert series at Sunset House in Toledo, funded school performances and master classes by the Toledo Symphony and helped fund theater programs at Lourdes College. In addition, she provided hundreds of college scholarships, culminating in the creation of an endowed scholarship at the University of Toledo named for her husband. She was a master at re-inventing her life as her circumstances changed. When health concerns in 2000 made it no longer possible for her to live alone in the house she and Alvin had built in Toledo, she moved to Florida to live with Nancy. She quickly became an active volunteer in St. Petersburg, first at the Florida International Museum and subsequently at the Palladium, Sunken Gardens, and the Arts Center. She ushered at the Palladium 3 weeks before her death. She bought a new car at age 86 and loved driving a candy apple red sedan until vision problems forced her to quit at age 93. She never had a driving violation or an accident, except on that first date with Alvin. She learned to love ice hockey, football, and baseball after moving to Florida and was thrilled when ?her? team won. She was a season ticket holder for the Florida Orchestra and American Stage and attended hundreds of events at the Palladium. Her interest in music started at the early age, helped her win her husband?s attention, and gave her great comfort throughout her life. She was a church organist for over 35 years and accompanied the Mari-lark Singers in Toledo for nearly 50 years. She moved her 1920 Steinway baby grand piano to Florida and even after her vision deteriorated, she played hymns and popular songs from memory. She was a founding member of The Flamingos and was elected Patron Saint of Fiscal Responsibility by that organization. She was very proud of her daughter?s and grandchildren?s accomplishments and helped them in any way possible. Three weeks before her death, she was still working for Nancy?s company. She provided good counsel on business and personnel issues and never stopped being involved. She liked to help Nancy in the garden and nurtured her own collection of African violets. She had a positive attitude and a firm belief that things would work out just fine and that God was taking care of her. She was a member of PEO Sisterhood Chapter BC and The Group. For her 95th birthday, her daughters staged a three day party which included a ?This is Your Life? skit and was attended by more than 40 friends and family from 6 states. In anticipation of her 100th birthday, her family commissioned Aaron David Miller to write an organ composition based on her favorite hymn which is scheduled to be premiered in Toledo on May 13, Mother?s Day. They also commissioned a wind quintet from Mark Sforzini, to be premiered in 2008. She is survived by her daughters, Nancy J. Preis, Seminole, FL, Marilyn Preis Hoyt and her husband Robert Andover, MA, three grandchildren: Robert P. Hoyt, Seattle WA Eliza Hoyt, and Meg Hoyt-Niemiec, both of Minneapolis, MN a sister, Ruth S. Rohloff Dallas TX, five great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. She leaves a large group of friends of all ages and will be greatly missed. She was an inspiration on how to live fully and generously. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations to Monroe Street United Methodist Church, 3673 Monroe Street, Toledo, OH 43606 or The Family Center, 1624 N. Superior Street, Toledo OH 43604 or The Florida Orchestra, 101 S. Hoover Blvd. #100, Tampa, FL 33609 or New Opportunity School for Women, 204 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY 40403.