Gloria Ann (Albenice) Kuzma

Mother to Steven Kuzma, Co-Owner of Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center, Charlotte and NCFDA Member.

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our matriarch Gloria Ann (Albenice) Kuzma, who passed away on peacefully at home on Monday, December 1, 2025.

Gloria was born and raised in Flushing, New York and was the only daughter born to the late Philip and Anna (DeFeo) Albenice. Following the untimely death of her mother at the age 25,our mom was raised by her grandparents and aunts, a bond that last until the death of her aunts in the 90s.

She graduated from Flushing High School in 1951and in October of 1954 married our father Robert L. Kuzma. Our dad , a graduate of Georgia Tech and was recruited by Sikorsky Aircraft in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They moved in an apartment owned by Dr. and Mrs. Pasquerella, who was General Practitioner and Chief of Surgery at St. Vincent Hospital in Bridgeport. Doc, as he was referred to, delivered all three of my parents children and became a good family friend.

My parents moved to West Haven,Connecticut in the new area called Benham Hill. It was a small ranch home and after the birth of their daughter Patricia, they built a home in Huntington. Gloria served as a docent at the local Beardsley Park Zoo, worked in retail sales, but her great joy was work with and cooking for Autistic and Challenged children at schools in Stratford ands Milford, Connecticut

My parents moved to Orange, Connecticut for several years, then following our dad's retirement as Senior Flight Test Engineer for Sikorsky, then moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. There they were active in the Newcomers Group, our mom learned to line dance and took up bowling, while our dad took up mountain hiking and snow shoeing. They had a group of friends that would meet at the lodge after the group of men finished their night shoe trek and had a grand time.

Due to declining health, our parents moved from Grand Junction, Colorado to Matthews, North Carolina to be closer to family. By this time their health started to decline, and both of our parents were on walkers and really didn't want to leave house. Our mom would treasure her Thursday grocery trip with her granddaugher Jessica. It was a quite work out.

In the last few years, our mom suffered numerous bouts of Congestive Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Breast Cancer. Her wishes were to pass at home, and we honored them.

Besides her parents, Gloria was preceded by her younger brother Philip Albenice, Jr.

Our mom is survived by her husband of 70 yrs Robert L Kuzma, sons Steven Kuzma and wife Chun Xie Kuzma, Wayne Kuzma and wife Dee, and Patricia (Kuzma) Kennedy and husband George.. Also surviving are her grandchildren Brian, Jessica, Amanda, and Jason as well as numerous great grandchildren.

Vistiation will be held at Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center, 5505 Monroe Rd, Charlotte on Friday, Decemeber 5th from 6-8pm with a graveside service to follow on Saturday at 11:30 am at Forest Lawn East Cemetery, Matthews with Deacon Michael Goad officiating.

Our heartfelt thanks Elizabeth from Aldersgate at home for her care and friendship she showed our mom, to the nurses at Novant Matthews in ICU, the 5th and 3rd Floor for the great care as well as Julie and Teresa from Via Hospice and Father Nicholas Kramer of St. Matthew Catholic Church from their quick response to our plea from help.

Contributions may be made to Via Hospice, 7845 Little Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, or to GHA Autism Supports (ghaautismsupports.org), 213 N 2nd Street, Albemarle, North Carolina, 28001

Carolina Funeral Service & Cremation Center is entrusted with the arrangements.