Gloria Aguayo

My life began August 27, 1940 in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents were each Florida natives for several generations, from the North Florida region.

I was the eldest of three girls. My sisters were twins, born in 1943 during the WWII years. We lived in Middleburg, Florida, a small town near Jacksonville, with our maternal grandparents, John and Alma Saunders, during the war years. Our father was in the USN. After the war dad remained in the service, switching to the Air Force. We were based in Germany after WW II. While we moved often during our growing up years, we usually remained in the south.

My life in Tampa, Florida began in the 1960 s, when my now deceased ex- spouse and I moved here with the first three of our five children (twins completed our family in 1969). Fred and I divorced in the mid 70s, and each remarried. Neither of us had children with our second spouses. My second marriage to an older hispanic man, Oscar Aguayo, (also deceased) ended after two years.

Raising my children as a single mom provided me with many challenges, and it was an ongoing learning experience. Now I have ten grandchildren, most of them young adults.


During the 70s, I attended and graduated from Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida in Tampa, earning a B.A. degree in Journalism in Mar. 78.

I was hired by the State of Florida as an Eligibilty Specialist in the welfare program in the same year. I retired from service with the State in 2007. My last ten years were spent with AHCA, the Medicaid program, in Tampa.

I am enjoying retirement. I act as health care surrogate for my sister Doris, who is residing in a nursing home due to illness. I attend water aerobics, am active in my church, and enjoy researching my family s roots online. I have always loved to read, and now I have more time to do so.

Writing has always been an interest, and I am renewing my efforts to free lance from home.