Gloria Mae Kiffel

Gloria Mae (Vite) Kiffel, age 84 of Kenosha, peacefully passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at Parkside Manor, surrounded by her loving family.

Born on March 30, 1934 in Kenosha, she was the daughter of the late Louis Paul and Carmela “Grace” (Cosentino) Vite.

Educationally, she attended school in Kenosha and was a 1952 graduate of St. Catherine’s High School, Racine.  In 1954, Gloria was a graduate of Patricia Steven’s Finishing and Modeling School of Milwaukee and was a 1956 graduate of the International School of Business Machines (IBM).

On June 23, 1956, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, William (Bill) G. Kiffel. They had their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1951 when she was 16 years old and he was 18. After Bill returned from serving in the Army during the Korean War, they were engaged on Christmas Day in 1954.

From 1952 to 1956, Gloria was employed at American Motors Corporation as an IBM keypunch operator and as a model in the Milwaukee area.  From 1956 to 1958, she was employed at Johnson Motors.

She was a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, a summer member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Twin Lakes and a former member of the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church and the Junior Rosary Society.

Gloria adored being a wife, mother and homemaker having had three children, Kevin, Kurtis and Karon Kiffel. When her children were growing up, Gloria was an active board member in the Harvey School P.T.A., St. Peter’s Home and School Association and St. Joseph’s High School Home and School Association.

Throughout her lifetime Gloria regularly volunteered her time at the Kenosha Memorial Hospital, annually donated numerous handmade Afghans to the St. Joseph High School Auctions, St. Peter’s Church Raffle, St. Joseph Home for the Aged and the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. Gloria was a Cub Scout, Brownie and Girl Scout Leader, a Room Mother for all three of her children, a parent leader on numerous field trips and a member of People Involved with Education (PEI) and Mother’s for World Peace.

She was also a member of many organizations including The Nordic Trailblazers Cross Country Ski Club, The Moose Club, Tuesday Tea Time Bowling Leagues, Red Hats Club, the Merry Married’s Dance Club, S.C. Johnson Retirees Association and Kenosha Junior League. Gloria was a proud charter member of the S.C. Johnson International Wives Club which hosted global business associates and assisted with their transition to living in the United States.

Gloria loved people from all over the world and enjoyed continuous learning. She took many classes on topics such as genealogy, rosemaling, arts and crafts and history. She was an avid world traveler, having crossed both oceans numerous time and having spent a night in all 50 of the United States and touring 47 International countries.  Gloria organized and planned annual summer vacations for her family, carefully mapping out 5-6 states per trip and all of the historical sites to see along the way, thereby providing her children firsthand education of our nation’s history.

She enjoyed spending time playing in several bridge groups, line dancing, biking, walking, playing cards, bowling, roller skating, dancing, knitting and spending time with her family and friends. She and her family enjoyed summer weekends at their Powers’ Lake Cottage sailing, boating, skiing, and sharing the cottage with family and friends for over 25 years. Gloria planned and organized family picnics for the extended Kiffel Family for many years, allowing the next generation of family and cousins to become very closely bonded.

She is survived by her children Kurtis Anthony Kiffel of Kenosha and Karon Monica Kiffel of Milwaukee and her sister Norma Vite of Half Moon Bay, California. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Kiffel; and a son, Kevin William Kiffel.

Gloria’s Family expresses their profound gratitude to the nurses and caring staff of Parkside Manor and Hospice Alliance. They would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you for the support and prayers of friends and family.