Gloria Benita Gutierrez Vidal de Terry

Gloria Benita Terry, age 76, of Madison, Wisconsin, passed away on May 13, 2024, at her home in Madison, Wisconsin.  She was born on January 2, 1948 in Trujillo, Peru, the second daughter of Santiago Rubén Gutierrez and Juana Luisa Vidal.  She married Paul W. Terry on Dec. 30, 1975, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Gloria’s early years were spent in Trujillo and in her beloved Andean towns of Cajabamba and Quiruvilca, Peru. 

 Gloria felt a strong devotion to God throughout her life, and as a young person in Trujillo, joined the Legión de María, a charitable organization in which she spent many hours providing assistance to the poor.  As an adolescent she assumed the responsibility of caring for her family when her mother became gravely ill and her father was working in a distant city, leaving school so she could attend to her family.  From an early age, Gloria was fascinated with sewing, needle work, and the design and making of clothing.  She became an extraordinary seamstress, designing and fabricating clothes for her family.  Later when she had children she enjoyed outfitting them in amazing tailor-made clothes she produced from her creative and imaginative mind.  Her ability to make virtually anything with needles, thread, yarn, and crochet hooks was remarkable.  As an adolescent, Gloria accepted the message of the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-Day Saints, joining the church in 1965, and becoming in 1968 the first church member from the city of Trujillo to serve a full-time mission, which took her to Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.   After her mission she immigrated to the United States in 1971, where she studied in Boston, Massachusetts, obtaining a Medical Assistant Certificate, and working subsequently as a laboratory technician in Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.  In 1973 she met her future husband, Paul, who was a student at MIT.   They married on Dec. 30, 1975, in the Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.   In 1976 she moved with Paul to Austin, Texas, so he could pursue his Ph.D. in physics.  There her three beloved children were born, Paul, Laura, and Michael.  She also received her nephew Steve into her home, raising him as a third son.  Gloria was a stay-at-home mom and loved every minute of it.  Doing activities with her children was great fun for her, and consequently it was great fun for them.  She was the quintessential Hispanic mom, cooking amazing Peruvian dishes, insisting that her children maintain fluency in Spanish, and building a tightknit family as the center of life.  

In 1988 she relocated with her family to Madison, Wisconsin, where she embraced her new city with enthusiasm and love.  Although from a temperate South American climate, she enjoyed all of Madison's seasons and the varied activities that went with each.   In Madison she joined the University League, participating in the needlework, Spanish, antiques and dinner-out groups.  She joined the Night Owls Dinner/Dance club and did her best to teach her husband to dance.   She was ever active in her church, serving as a teacher, a leader in the women's organization, a friend who ministered with love to all, and a trusted advisor to her husband in his callings.   When her children became adults and left home she launched a second career as a medical interpreter, the sole proprietor of a translation company, and a Spanish teacher in after-school programs at Randall, Franklin, John Muir, and Northside elementary schools.  She tirelessly served Madison's Hispanic community as an interpreter, but it was as a teacher that she was especially gifted, using music and fun activities to help her students learn Spanish.  As grandchildren were born she built special relationships with them, even over long distances, often hand making special gifts for Christmas and birthdays.  

She consistently put her family first, both her immediate and extended relations, even if it meant sacrificing her own wellbeing.   More generally, Gloria was a selfless and generous woman who was constantly looking after others -- rendering love, devotion, and service -- and doing whatever she could for them.  

In 2015 she was diagnosed with multiple debilitating illnesses, including a terminal lung disease.  These initiated a long decline, difficult struggle, and cessation of all activities outside the home.  Throughout her struggles she fought valiantly and without complaint to maintain activities she loved for as long as she could.  Gloria is survived by her husband Paul; her sister Consuelo; her children Paul Jr. (Nancy), Laura (Lemar), Michael (Nicole), and Steve; and her grandchildren, Elias, Uriah, Hunter, Jerric, Oliver, Emmylou, Amelie, and Dominic.  She was preceded in death by her parents Santiago and Juanita; and her siblings Santiago Adrián, Victor, Berta, Miguel, Esperanza, Caridad, Alberto, Santiago Erasmo, and Veronica.  

A memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, May 24, 2024, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 4505 Regent Street, Madison, Wisconsin.   Interment and grave dedication will be held after the memorial service at Forest Hill Cemetery, 1 Speedway Road, Madison, Wisconsin.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM at the Cress Funeral Home on 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, Wisconsin.