Gloria Ikard

Gloria J. Ikard (Aguirre) of Las Cruces, NM passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Gloria was born in El Paso, Texas on August 8, 1932 to Manuel Aguirre and Clara Guion Aguirre. She grew up in El Paso with her 5 siblings and graduated High School from Loretto Academy where she was Prom Queen in 1951. Her classmate and dear friend Mary Ikard Salopek introduced her to her brother Jim who became the love of her life. After high school, she worked in a bank and attended Texas Western College (UTEP) where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. During this time she and Jim were engaged and married on June 19,1954 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in El Paso. Soon they moved to Las Cruces to begin their family in 1957.

 Gloria was active at Holy Cross Catholic Church in the Altar Society and the PTA at Holy Cross School. She was a dedicated homemaker and mother to their six children. Gloria loved fishing and caught trophy size fish at Elephant Butte and Lake Novillo in Mexico. She traveled the world with Jimmy and her family to places like Alaska, Japan, South America, and Europe and shared many adventures in their “motorhome”. Gloria was devoted to the Blessed Mother and was privileged to see holy sites such as Lourdes in France and Medjugorje in Bosnia. Gloria went back to school after raising her children and graduated from NMSU with a degree in Art History to develop her artistic talents as a painter and sculptor. She also spent many years working on the genealogy of her family which continues to be a rich source of information for them. 

 Gloria never met a stranger and had a love of life witnessed by all who knew her. Her strong faith, independent spirit and sense of adventure were an inspiration to her family and friends. She loved her devoted caregivers, Rosa, Maria, Ana Barbara, and Holly who took such great care of her for the last few years in her home. 

 Gloria was preceded in death by her parents and four siblings, husband Jim of 52 years, son Robert, granddaughters Clara and Theresa Gwen, and great-granddaughter Brooklyn Rose. Immediate surviving family members of her “bean field” include five children: Suzanne, David and wife Anne, Matthew, Paul, Robert’s wife Suzanne, and James Luke and wife Theresa. She was also blessed with sixteen grandchildren: Arynn, Ethan, Chloe, Samantha, Francis, Rebecca, Jack, April, Austin, Robert Jr., Sarah, Elizabeth, Oliver, Faith, Ashlynn and Luke, and with six great-grandchildren Caleb, Elliott, Owen, Scout, Miles, and Alice. She is also survived by her brother David “Butch” Aguirre and wife Jane. 

 A Rosary Prayer Vigil will be held at 6:00 PM on March 21, 2025, at Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E Bowman Ave. The Funeral Liturgy will be at 10:00 AM on March 22, 2025, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. 1327 N. Miranda. The Rite of Committal will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery.