Gloria Winston, 98

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Gloria (Markoff) Winston, of Providence, passed away on March 8, 2025, at The Miriam Hospital, Providence. Beloved by and devoted to her extended family, she was a compassionate listener, a dear friend and an active and generous member of her community. She met the great love of her life, the late James W. Winston, while he was a midshipman at the Naval Academy, and they enjoyed 50 wonderful years together.

Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Samuel and Ruth (Urdang) Markoff and the sister of the late Dorothy (Markoff) Nelson and the late Bernice (Markoff) Gourse. She attended John Howland, Nathan Bishop and Hope High schools before earning a bachelor’s degree from Pembroke College with a major in Sociology and minor in Psychology. In 2024, she celebrated her 75th Reunion (class of 1948) by leading the Brown graduation alumni procession down College Hill.

In her later years, she loved living at Laurelmead, an active retirement community. She brought her forever-young spirit to making new friends, serving on resident committees, playing bridge, learning to meditate and strengthening connections among residents new and old.

A lifelong and proud Rhode Islander, she founded and was president of Program Coordinators, which provided touring services to visitors to RI. She also served as Community Relations Director for Paramount Greeting Cards, a company founded by her father and led for many years by her dear husband, Jimmy. Always a gracious hostess, she entertained her large circle of friends and welcomed the former first lady of Egypt, Madam Sadat, to her home.

Volunteering and giving back to her community were a throughline of her life. Starting as a teenager, she was the longest-serving volunteer at The Miriam Hospital, where connecting with patients was her greatest joy and honor. She volunteered with the Council of Jewish Women to welcome and settle new Americans and was a counselor and clinic assistant at Planned Parenthood. She co-chaired a capital fund drive for Butler Hospital, chaired the RISD Museum’s first annual fund drive in the 1970s and chaired telethons for the RI Philharmonic and the United Arts Fund. Among the many other organizations where she contributed her talents and boundless energy were Trinity Rep, Camp JORI, Temple Beth-El and Meals on Wheels.

Family was the most important thing to her. She was always curious about the lives of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, connecting with them regularly and always sending a card for each birthday and anniversary. She made every effort to be a continuous presence in their lives. She supported them in hard times and took pride in their accomplishments. She attended celebrations and sporting events and cared about whatever they cared about. Nicknamed GoGo as a child, even to her last days, she did not want to miss anything.

She was predeceased by her son, the late Shmuel Weinstein, of Jerusalem, Israel. She is survived by two children, Laura Winston and her husband, Rob Bruno, of St. Augustine, Florida; and Ted Winston and his wife, Denise, of Wakefield; daughter-in-law, Chana Weinstein, of Jerusalem, Israel; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made to The Miriam Hospital or the James and Gloria Winston Scholarship Fund at the RISD Museum.