It's So Glo - itssoglo

Forty Nine Years and a Day

I needed to write something after the unforgettable celebration of "Its So Glo". August 20, 2010 will forever mark the indelible memory of the women I loved and yet I cannot find the words to adequately describe the recurrence that she has not left me.

I want to thank all those that made this celebration possible and everyone who shared in her life experience.

luv

bryant

Glo's Theatre Credits

A past remembered - almost 20 years on stage - The many lives portrayed by our favorite star.

Baltimore Leading Roles: Picnic, Aria Da Capo, Thieves Carnival, Thurber Carnival, Two for the Sesaw, The Lovers, Squaring The Circle, Diary of Ann Frank, Taming of the Shrew, Way of the World, Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot.

Musical Leads: Sweet Charity, Fiddler on the Roof, Follies, Bye Bye Birdie, New Faces, Applause, Cabaret.

Dinner Theatre: Streetcar Named Desire, Can-Can, My Fair Lady.

TV Appearances: Family Counselor, Dr. Mac , Bob Tuerke and the Sunshine Kids, Sylvia Scott, PBS Antique Perfumes, Penzoil commercial.

Film: Army Industrial Films , The Gentle People and the Quiet Land.

Forever (Ben Harper)

Not talkin' 'bout a year
no not three or four
I don't want that kind of forever
in my life anymore
forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
so give me your forever
please your forever
not a day less will do
from you

People spend so much time
every single day
runnin' 'round all over town
givin' their forever away
but no not me
I won't let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
so give me your forever
please your forever
not a day less will do
from you

Like a handless clock with numbers
an infinite of time
no not the forever found
only in the mind
forever always seems
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems
to be around when things end
so give me your forever
please your forever
not a day less will do
from you

Gloria Dunetz, August 14, 1936-August 20, 2010

Gloria (AKA “Glo”) S. Dunetz, 74, who died Friday, August 20th at her home in Fairfax Station, VA exuded beauty, kindness, strength and love. She was graceful, an actress and dancer with charm to spare. Her talents and charisma will be passed on to others through her family and friends, of whom there are many.

The exuberance of Gloria’s younger years is evident in family photos of her from musicals where she dazzles the beholder with expressions both serious and funny. Somehow she looks the part in every costume, from “Can Can” to “Fiddler on the Roof” and all those in between (to include numerous musical and dramatic performances: “Taming of the Shrew”, “My Fair Lady”, “The Music Man” and “Picnic”, to name a few). It is clear that she was indeed someone to know and admire. She even inspired a signature phrase: “It’s so Glo”, spoken when something reminded someone of Gloria.

Her love of the arts carried over into her family. She and her husband of 49 years, Bryant Dunetz, ensured that their three sons, Raymond, Kevin and Richard, grew up to appreciate music. She continued to be active in community theater, but her true love belonged with her family. Eventually, Gloria welcomed Rosa (Kevin), Akiyo (Richard) and Courtney (Raymond) into the family, happily adding daughters to the mix. Kevin and Rosa’s two sons, Andrew and Ryan, brought even greater joy to her life.

Despite two diagnoses of breast cancer, Gloria was able to find happiness in many places and in various ways: spending time with her family and friends, hunting for antiques (she was an expert in antique perfumes!), dancing, working out and relaxing in her renowned garden full of daylilies. Her struggles with the disease prompted her youngest son, Rick, to create the Side-Out Foundation, a local non-profit organization that unites volleyball teams nationwide in its Dig Pink® events. Each event raises money for cutting edge translational research for breast cancer patients, education for the community and compassionate support for both patients and families.

Gloria will always be the inspiration behind Side-Out. She gave meaning to its efforts and an urgency to the cause. Her strength and elegance in the face of breast cancer encouraged all those around her and she will remain in their hearts forever. All those who knew her came to understand that victory is not always found in remission. It is in daily strength of spirit, courage to face adversity with grace, and determination to live life no matter what challenges may arise.

Gloria Dunetz was victorious in all aspects of life, and her family and friends are grateful for the time she shared with them. She was much like the lilies that bloom in her garden every summer: strong, adaptable and elegant. Come summertime next year, I’m sure the sight will prompt many to say fondly “it’s so Glo.”

The Rythm of Life -Starring Sweet Gloria

Spread the religion of The Rhythm Of Life."
And The Rhythm Of Life is a powerful beat,
Puts a tingle in your fingers and a tingle in your feet,
Rhythm in your bedroom,
Rhythm in the street,
Yes, The Rhythm Of Life is a powerful beat,
To feel The Rhythm Of Life,
To feel the powerful beat,
To feel the tingle in your fingers,
To feel the tingle in your feet with a powerful beat.

Gloria's story (from "Survivor Stories" on the Side-Out website)

“It was the hair. I was known for my hair.” Gloria Dunetz and I are sitting at her kitchen table on a chilly winter day. She says it’s an OK day, not good, not bad. I think her wig is beautiful, but I can understand feeling loss for a favorite identifying characteristic.

Despite her treatments and recent news that the disease spread further, Gloria works out frequently and reminds others that she is “still healthy and viable”. She is looking forward to the daylilies that will bloom in her yard in a few months, flowers so gorgeous that they draw visitors from all over.

Gloria has metastatic breast cancer. When she was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 1997, she was scared. It was as though her perspective changed from a wide, all-encompassing vista to a narrow, dark tunnel…a foggy, narrow, dark tunnel. Nevertheless, she sensed the light peeking through the other side.

Her surgical appointment was set for February: a lumpectomy followed by radiation. She finished her treatments and eventually, she moved beyond her diagnosis as Gloria the patient to become Gloria the wife, mom, aunt and friend once again. She even took on a new role as Gloria, the grandmother!

Seven years passed, and she continued to dedicate herself to a workout regimen. When her trainer noticed a tiny bump on her neck, she wasn’t sure what to think. The PET scan revealed what no one expected after seven years in remission: the breast cancer was back and it had spread to the skin, liver and bones. Gloria pauses in the conversation to emphasize that many people don’t realize that skin is an organ, indeed the body’s largest organ. Everyone should schedule yearly checks with a dermatologist.

For Gloria, the news was “disastrously terrifying”. She had moved into a new home three weeks prior, but she felt no desire to explore the area or meet her neighbors. She kept her husband, Bryant, at her side at all times because she was afraid to be alone with her thoughts and fears. The oncologist’s phrase “my job is to prolong your life” echoed in her mind and she fell into a deep depression.

For three months, Gloria lived life from her couch. She didn’t feel like going shopping for antiques to later resell. She didn’t want to go outside and discover her new surroundings. The couch was comfortable and it kept her from having to exchange pleasantries with new neighbors whom she would not have time to get to know anyway. What was the point?

Gloria’s family also struggled with the recurrence. Rick, her youngest, assumed the job of coach, a role with which he was quite familiar given his new position as head coach for a local high school volleyball team. When he asked her to come watch his team, the West Springfield Spartans, play for regionals, she wanted to say no.

Rick convinced her to attend, and Gloria recalls the memory with fondness: “I saw the kids and I completely and thoroughly forgot about cancer for two hours”. From that one game, the Side-Out Foundation was born. The Spartans won games no one predicted they would win, and Gloria felt motivated by the girls’ gusto and determination. She realized believing in yourself, whether as an athlete or as a person facing an incredible challenge, not only required physical strength but also will of spirit, and she modeled her new perspective after those of the 2004 West Springfield girls volleyball team.

Still, she reminds me that there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer and she does not believe that positive thinking can heal you or change the outcome of your disease. “But”, she adds, “it certainly can’t hurt.”

Gloria’s treatment for metastatic cancer has consisted of drug after drug. When one stops working, they search for a new one. Sometimes the side effects are so uncomfortable, the doctors must find yet another drug. Unfortunately, there is not much research being conducted for metastatic breast cancer, and obviously this upsets Gloria.

“The trial may be a glimmer of hope”. She’s referring to a trial that just began, one that is receiving funding from Side-Out. It concentrates on the protein pathways (the molecular fingerprint) in the tumors of each patient, with the goal of establishing personalized treatment that will most effectively attack the tumors.

Although there may never be talk of remission or cure, Gloria continues with her everyday activities, and she enjoys moments shared with her “circle of love” (her close friends and family). She mentions that her world is smaller now than it used to be since she doesn’t go as many places, but she’s OK with that.

When I ask her how she feels about the success of Side-Out, she replies, “I’m happy that I have a legacy, but Side-Out is not my life. I just want to live.” I can’t help but be inspired by her strength and grace. She’s much like the lilies that will soon be blooming in her yard: strong, adaptable and elegant.

Reclaiming Her Strength (submitted to Under Armour's "She's a Fighter™. Survivor Search" July, 2010)

Victory is not always found in remission. It is in daily strength of spirit, courage to face adversity with grace, and determination to live life no matter what challenges may arise.

Gloria was never a competitive athlete, however she always enjoyed exercise, and she was a strong competitor with herself. When she was young, Gloria focused on the artistry and discipline of ballet and modern dance. In time, she shifted her focus to diet, Jazzercise and weights, even hiring a personal trainer to help her achieve her fitness goals.

It was Gloria’s personal trainer who discovered the lump on Gloria’s neck seven years after she achieved remission from breast cancer. Tests revealed the cancer was back, and it had spread to her skin, liver and bones. She struggled to adjust to the life of a patient once again, and this go-round felt worse because there was no remission to look forward to, no possibility of a non-cancer life reclaimed. Her active lifestyle evolved into a basic existence, and for three months Gloria lived life from her couch, retreating into her thoughts and worries.

When Gloria was diagnosed for the second time, her youngest son, Rick, had just assumed the position as head volleyball coach for a local high school team after the former coach abruptly retired. Rick watched his mom grow weaker with treatment and depression, and he confided her situation to his players. The West Springfield girls volleyball team, themselves trying to regain momentum after their former coach left unexpectedly, found inspiration in Rick’s story.

They battled their way through rival teams and found themselves at finals in the District Championship for the first time in school history. Gloria did not want to leave the house when Rick asked her to attend the game, but she eventually conceded when he told her, “the girls are winning these games for you.”

Gloria passed the next few hours immersed in the excitement of the finals. The thought of cancer and death never crossed her mind; what mattered in those moments were the players. The girls had worked so hard to overcome their challenges, and they were winning! It would be hard for anyone not to draw analogies to Gloria’s illness and her own struggles. As if scripted for a movie, the Spartans won their very first District Championship title with Gloria cheering them on from the stands.

For Gloria, their success sparked a familiar desire to fight. She realized the doctor’s words, “my job is to prolong your life”, never mentioned the word “death”. “Prolong your life”: that was the phrase that mattered most, and she wanted to reclaim the life she had.

She learned about her disease and developed a strong relationship with her oncologist. She returned to her personal trainer and set out to make her body as strong as possible for the treatment to come.

Six years later, at age 74, Gloria still adheres to her workout regimen. Some days she feels better than others, but she is confident that exercise is central to maintaining strength. And as for the 2004 West Springfield girls volleyball team, well, they can be proud of the fact that their enthusiasm spawned a movement in volleyball: The Side-Out Foundation. As of today, Side-Out has raised over $1.5 million for breast cancer research and education. Together, Gloria and the team inspired change and created a legacy which will benefit breast cancer patients, their families and the sport of volleyball for years to come.

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out and meet it.” - Thucydides

It's So Glo - itssoglo

Featured pictures

Welcome to It's So Glo

Guestbook

Recent activity

Favorite sites

Family updates