Gloria Kathleen Curtis (Beckford) was born to Bernice Campbell and Robert Curtis on June17, 1924 in Savanna-la-Mar, the parish of West Moreland on the beautiful island of Jamaica. Gloria gave birth to a handsome son named Winston. Later, in 1951, she married the love of her life Leopold Beckford who was a Sergeant in the Jamaica National Constabulary Force. Together, they raise four wonderful sons: Keith, Leslie, Leopold Jr., and Scott (aka Norman) – now deceased.

Gloria was a woman of extraordinary ambition, faith and vision. In the early 1960s, her burning desire to create a better life for herself and her family led her to take the daring leap to relocate from Jamaica to Canada. One of many journeys that helped to define her life and legacy as a pioneer, world traveler and a woman of great faith.

In 1963, Gloria took another daring leap and relocated from Canada to London, England, where she joined her husband Leopold. While there, she took the opportunity to advance her education and sought a career in nursing. Upon achieving her certification, Gloria took yet another daring leap across the Atlantic, permanently settling in Boston, Massachusetts. Initially, she worked several jobs in the health care field; at times simultaneously. Gloria's primary focus was set on accomplishing her two main objectives: Purchasing a home, and bringing her sons to Boston, one child at a time. Gloria's tenacity and hard work soon paid off, and she was able to purchase her home at 15 Vesta Road and was reunited with her children. In1964, she began a 30-year career as an Instrument Technician at Tufts New England Medical Center, a position she thoroughly enjoyed until her retirement in 1994.

Gloria's deep faith led her to be a very active member of St. Angela Catholic Church for many years. She served on the church's Kitchen Committee where she enjoyed baking and cooking her traditional Jamaican dishes of rice and peas, curried goat, oxtail, and ackee and saltfish. She was also a member of the Annual Bazaar committee and was often called upon for support with various activities. Years later, Gloria joined Saint Katherine Drexel Church, under the leadership of Reverend Oscar J. Pratt, II. There, she continued her passion for serving God's people with a joyful heart. Gloria leaves behind a rich legacy characterized by faith, resiliency, generosity, and love that will continue to inspire all of us, and our generations to come.

On April 20, 2026, Gloria took her final leap and entered eternity where she was reunited with her beloved family members: Leopold, parents Bernice and Robert, her youngest son Norman, grandson Remekie, and two sisters Mavis and Beryl.  Honoring her life and legacy are her sons: Winston and his wife Hilma of Daltona Florida, Keith of London England, Leslie and his wife Joyce of Boston Massachusetts, and Leopold Jr. of Salem Massachusetts. Her grandchildren: William, Les Jr., Marsha, Winston Jr. Mathias, Leo Jr., Thalia, Angelique, Desiree and her husband Bouba.  Great-grandchildren: Kennedy, Aiden, David, Sarah, Brooke, Lucas, Cyrus, Buraq, Sembene, and Sankara. Although Gloria has stepped into eternity, her life and legacy continue to challenge us to trust God in every situation, to give generously to those in need, to dare to leap toward those dreams God has placed in our hearts, and to always seek to ' Be At  Peace'.