Mary Gladney was a very special person. I am very thankful she & I became friends and shared many happy and interesting times together. Through working with Mary in the SCORE organization, I grew to have a very deep respect and a great deal of admiration for her. She was the kind of woman that we all should aspire to be. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, community leader, volunteer, teacher, and student. I say teacher & student because in all the many meetings, seminars, retreats, training sessions, and workshops we attended together, Mary always had positive and informed comments to make, as well as questions to ask. She was always learning, and took every opportunity presented to her to learn more about being a better business woman and a better citizen. Mary was a doer – she saw things that needed to be done and she did them. She didn't just talk about issues, she got involved. She continually worked toward her dream of having multiple beauty shops around Decatur and beyond our community. Even though that alone was a fulltime task, she also volunteered to encourage & help others with their entrepreneurial dreams, she taught lessons on business ownership to young people through her church, and she shared her experiences at different workshops through SCORE. She & I also spoke to inmates in the local women's prison, and she was truly inspirational to them. She never hesitated to give her all when it came to helping others. She & I had many wonderful conversations regarding family, work, business, school, etc. We were able to talk about most anything, & I will miss her frank, open, and always kind words. I will miss her very much. To the family of Mary, I offer my heartfelt condolences. Decatur, IL US
