Gloria Elizabeth Burns

Gloria Elizabeth Ottley-Burns was born July 7, 1930 in an apartment at 2049 5th Ave., Harlem, USA. She was the second, and final, surviving child of George Ottley & Muriel Seaton-Ottley, both immagrants from Trinidad and Tobago.

Around 1940 Gloria, her parents and her devoted older brother Emmanuel (forever known as Manny) moved to an apartment at 92 Morningside Ave., on the corner of 122nd street in Harlem.

Gloria attended St. Joseph the Apostle Grammar School in Harlem, then Cathedral Roman Catholic High School across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. During high school Gloria became the 2nd (and 3rd) queen of the NYC West Indian Day Parade. After graduating high school in 1949, Gloria enrolled in The City College of NY (CCNY).

It was during high school and college, that Gloria nurtured her love for promoting parties, dances and fashion shows. She was well known in Harlem society for founding the social club The Twiddle Links. After college she found clerical work in the fashion industry. Through contacts made there she started to expand her promoting activities. Until…

In 1956 Gloria married former Air Force Corporal, Powell Burns. After their first son was born the young couple moved to 860 Columbus Ave, Fredrick Douglass Housing Project.

Gloria stopped working full time to raise their four sons, Powell Jr., Stephen, Kevin and Jason, Gloria found time to promote a few fashion shows and dances. Just enough to keep life interesting.

In 1968 the couple divorced. With child caring help from her mother Muriel (known to her grand children as Gaga) and upstairs neighbor Mrs. Ruth Sewell, Gloria found work as a union organizer for Local 144 (whose president was Gloria’s cousin, Peter Ottley).

At about this time Gloria began promoting trips. Over the years she visited practically every Caribbean island and Toronto and Montreal.

In 1975 Gloria became a home owner, moving she and her boys to East Elmhurst, Queens, where she hit her stride traveling and throwing the best backyard parties in the neighborhood.

Gloria retired from the union and started working at LaGuardia Airport for Kinney Parking Facilities. After retiring from there she moved to 25-63 22nd Ave., Astoria, Queens, an “assisted living” apartment building for seniors.

On the Saturday before Christmas, 2023. Gloria fell in her apartment and hit her head. Although hospitalized, she was never the same and passed away two months later.

Gloria was preceded in death by her parents, George and Muriel, her brother Manny, sister-in-law Isabelle, nephew Douglas and her niece Judy. She is survived by her dog, Ginger, her sons Powell, Stephen, Kevin & Jason and their wives Marcia, Michele, Idaleen & Maricela, her grandchildren Jessica, Jason, Darius, Stephen, Adam, Malcolm & Shelby and great-grandchildren, Judah and Sage. Gloria has many surviving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She loved them all.

She will be missed.

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