Gladys J. Vecchio

VECCHIO, Gladys J., age 103, passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. She was born March 6, 1919 on her family’s farm in South Charleston, Ohio, the daughter of Alexander and Mary (Faudree) Neff. Gladys married the love of her life, Frank Vecchio, on April 1, 1944. The couple enjoyed nearly 78 wonderful years of matrimony in Springfield until Frank’s passing in 2022 at age 102.  Gladys attended Plattsburg High School and was later employed first at Robbins & Myers and then as a bookkeeper for the Fraternal Order of Eagles for 34 years. She was a long-time member of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church and was the last surviving Charter Member of Northwood Hills Country Club. Her success on the golf course led to her being named an honoree in the Springfield Ladies Golf Association Hall of Fame. In addition to golf, she enjoyed many activities, including dancing, playing euchre, casino trips, celebrating Christmas, and singing to people on their birthdays. Gladys’s main joy in life, however, was spending time with her beloved husband, extended family, and many, many friends. The harmony of the Vecchios’s final years was bolstered by the companionship and dedication of special friends Margie Wheeler, Shirley Long, Kelly Roe, Bonnie Strickland, and Sharon Turvy; cherished caregiver, Jami Jarvis-Heskett; and special great-nephew, Chad M. Bennett.  Gladys is survived by her sister, Marjorie Lane; sister-in-law, Marilyn Neff; nieces and nephews Roger, Jerry, and Ronald Neff, Mary Boysel, Gary Burris, Linda Smittle, Cheryl Everhart, Gailon Carney, Gina Lane, Debra Ferryman, Tony Longino, Robin Longino, Blake Bennett, Nicki Morgenstern, Lorri St. Jean, and Shirley Flosnik; a host of treasured great- and great-great nieces and nephews; and numerous friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Geraldine Paxson, Boyton, Roger, and Alexander Neff, Louise Burris, Wilma Longino, and Jessie Bennett.  A celebration of Gladys’s long and incredible life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 3^rd, at CONROY FUNERAL HOME. Visitation will begin one-and-one-half hours prior, from 9:30-11:00 AM. Burial will follow in St. Bernard Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gladys’s honor can be made to your favorite charity.