Gloria Alston

Gloria Ann Alston was born on December 10, 1948, in Conway, South Carolina, to the
late Lonnie Nathaniel and Gloria Cochran Alston. She was the eldest of four children.
On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Ann peacefully departed this life. 
Affectionately known as “Ann,” she was truly one of a kind—someone who embodied
the phrase “marching to the beat of her own drum.” A creative spirit at heart and by
training, Ann was an artist through and through. Though she never learned to swim, she
had a deep love for the water and could often be found near a peaceful shoreline. 
After earning her Bachelor of Arts from Hampton Institute, Ann moved to St. Thomas,
U.S. Virgin Islands, where she taught art. Her passion for learning led her to pursue an
MBA at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She then entered the corporate
world, working for major companies such as IBM and General Motors. Eventually, she
returned to New Jersey and served in the Public Advocate’s Office in Trenton. 
Ann’s love for education never waned. She continued her academic journey at George
Mason University in Fairfax, VA, where she was just one semester shy of completing
her PhD. She later returned to her first love—teaching. Ann taught at Barium Springs
Home for Children in Statesville, NC, a residential school for at-risk youth. She also
taught middle school art in Washington, DC, before settling in Georgetown, SC, where
she taught at Sampit Elementary School until her retirement in 2017. 
Ann had a deep love and appreciation for African American culture. She was an avid
reader and a passionate lover of books, sharing her enthusiasm with her sisters.
Through her, they were introduced to the powerful voices of Langston Hughes, Claude
McKay and Zora Neale Hurston. Ann not only read the words of the Harlem
Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement-she lived them. She was also a proud
member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Ann leaves behind a loving family: her three sisters—Joyce Alston Sterling of Florence,
SC; Brenda Alston (Steven) Cobb of Conway, SC; and Dawn of Monique Alston of
Chesapeake, VA. She is also survived by four nieces and nephews—Briana Faye and
Alston Drew Sterling of Florence, SC; Sydni Alexa Cobb of Albuquerque, NM; and
Alston Tyler Cobb of Los Angeles, CA—as well as a great-niece, Charlie Faye Johnson;
her aunt, Luella “Jean” Johnson; and a host of cousins, extended family, and dear
friends.

The memorial service will be held Tuesday, September 16,2025 at Latimer's Funeral Home 12PM.

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