Gloria Basobas

Beloved asawa (wife), ina (mother), lola (grandmother), tita (aunt), and pinsan (cousin), Gloria departed this life on November 14, 2025. She leaves behind her husband, Liberato, her daughter and son-in-law, Leah Basobas O’Carroll and David O’Carroll, her son, Leonard, and her two grandchildren, Eoin Miguel and Finley Luis Basobas O’Carroll.

Gloria was a “force of nature” and was quickly recognized as such by all who loved her, worked with her, or simply interacted with her. Born in Rizal, Santa Ilocos Sur, Philippines in 1941, several months before the start of World War II, she was a noted scholar in her youth. She finished at the top of her class every year from elementary school through high school. She would eventually go on to study nursing at the prestigious Philippine Women’s University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1965. On her first attempt to pass the Nursing Board examination, Gloria achieved the fourth highest score amongst 2,000 candidates. When applying for her nursing license in the United States, her Board scores prompted the State of California to waive their requirements of foreign graduates to re-take the examination.

For Gloria, nursing was a calling and a gift. She was the epitome of the saying, “You’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you do.” She absolutely loved nursing, but make no mistake, Gloria worked at it. From floor nurse to charge nurse, from small community-based hospitals to large Veterans Affairs institutions, Gloria relished taking care of her patients and working alongside her colleagues. She would complete a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from Ohio Dominican University in 1998, before eventually retiring from the nursing profession in 2005.

Gloria was deeply religious and employed her nursing mindset in her work throughout the Central Ohio community. She was an active member of St. Cecilia Church, bringing communion to those who could not physically attend mass, especially those at Ohio Health Hospitals, and she also volunteered at the Alzheimer’s Association. She was a member of the Christ Child Society of Columbus, an organization dedicated to serving the needs of children and youth regardless of race or creed.

Although Gloria was well known for her acts of service to those in need, she will be best remembered by her family and friends as a person who loved life. She loved music and loved to dance. She was a prolific storyteller regardless of the audience. She could be seen chatting up strangers or even one of the family pets if they happened to be within ear shot. She told stories with reckless abandon and elicited boisterous laughter to the verge of tears, especially if she or her own actions were the target of the joke. Gloria was never able to convey a story without it being interrupted by her own laughter. One memorable anecdote was the time she avoided a speeding ticket. She was pulled over but only given a warning when she rolled down her window and the officer heard “Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas” blasting in the car. Her penchant to laugh at herself was one of her greatest gifts, her laughter one of her greatest qualities. She was a gift.

A private family viewing will be held at Egan Ryan Funeral Home on Monday November 24th, with a service in the chapel at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery (Lewis Center) for family and friends from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the Basobas and Basobas O’Carroll families kindly request donations in honor of Gloria be sent to:

Huckleberry House, Inc., 1421 Hamlet Street, Columbus, OH 43201

https://huckhouse.org/donate/

Kaleidoscope Youth Center, 603 E. Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215

https://www.kycohio.org/donate.html