Gloria Ann Free 02/01/01961 - 03/28/2026
Gloria Ann Free, age 65, of Maryville, Tennessee, passed away on Saturday, March 28, 2026. She was a member of Zion Chapel Baptist Church.
She was born on February 1,1961, in Maryville, Tennessee, to Norman and Bea Free. She was raised in Louisville, TN, and graduated from Friendsville High School in 1979. She later continued her education with the Tennessee School of Banking.
Gloria built an extraordinary 40-year career in banking, beginning with Blount National Bank in Maryville and continuing through its mergers with First American, AmSouth, and Regions. She was recognized for her strong work ethic, professionalism, and dedication.
In all aspects of her life, Gloria met challenges with great strength and perseverance. Even during difficult times, she maintained a positive outlook. She had a remarkable ability to see the best in people and made a point of treating everyone with kindness. Her integrity was admirable; she always strove to do what was right and approached everything with diligence, discipline, and respect for proper procedure.
Throughout her life, Gloria held many roles. However, her most cherished roles were being a mother and grandmother. The two roles in which she truly excelled the most.
She began her retirement in October 2025 to enjoy life to its fullest. She loved traveling with friends and always looked forward to her next adventure. Gloria was bold, adventurous, witty, generous, intelligent, and straight forward. She will be incredibly missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is preceded in death by her parents: Norman V. and Beatrice (Goforth) Free. Grandparents: Arlie and Zula Free, Ted and Stella Goforth. Brother: Trent Free.
She is survived by her son and daughter: Alex Norton and Katie (Ethan) Carter. Grandchildren: Eli and Emma Carter. Sister: Teresa (Greg) Sharp. Nephews: Dylan Livesay, Cory Livesay, and Charlie Free. Great-nephew: Knox Livesay. Several cousins and many, many friends.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Zion Chapel Baptist Church, Louisville, TN. A celebration of life service, led by Pastor Jim Malone, will directly follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Gloria’s name can be made to the University of Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Support Fund, SmokiesLife, or Knox Area Rescue Ministries. Blount Funeral and Cremation are in charge of the service.
Church Address: 3334 Zion Chapel RD Louisville, TN 37777
UT Forensic Anthropology Support Fund
https://give.utk.edu/campaigns/42950/donations/new?designation_id=anthr_11
SmokiesLife
https://smokieslife.org/donate/
Knox Area Rescue Ministries
