Gladys Laura Gaither, age 94 died March 2, 2025, in Olathe, Kansas. She was born October 18, 1930, in North Andover, Massachusetts the 5th of 6 children born to Francis Allen and Alice Catherine Fish Stapleton.
As a young child she was raised catholic and attended an all-girls Catholic School in Lawrence, MA. She graduated in 1949 from St. Mary’s High School. Following high school, she worked as a waitress for a couple of years before enlisting in the US. Air Force on March 31, 1952, where she was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. There she met a handsome military man, James Gaither on a blind date. On October 3, 1953, they were married on base. That is where they started the military life of moving to many states throughout Jim’s military career. In 1954, a daughter Donna was born in Alabama. They eventually moved to California where in 1961 a son James was born. From California they made their way to Wyoming and in 1965 a second son Jay was born. After Wyoming, a move to Tennessee was in order and then moving back to Alabama in 1972 a daughter Laura was born. The family finally settled in Kansas after Jim’s retirement from the military.
Being a military wife, she liked to get together and play cards, occasionally go out dancing, play bingo with other couples and attend demolition derbies in California. For much of her life, she was a housewife, mother, chauffeur, nurse, and caregiver. She also babysat other children while her children were in school. There was always a dog in the house, Gladys liked animals dogs, fish, and in later years watching the chipmunks and squirrels on her porch at her apartment. Her hobbies included jigsaw puzzles, word puzzle books and crossword puzzles. She enjoyed watching soap operas and game shows on TV.
In 1984 after James passed away, she went back into the work force as a cafeteria cook at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Lenexa, KS where she stayed until 2004 when her health no longer allowed her to work. She enjoyed interacting with the kids and her coworkers.
Gladys could be described as opinionated, blunt, caring and giving. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren even though she didn’t get to see them as much as she would have liked.
Gladys is survived by her children, Donna Brown and husband Bubba of Tallassee, AL, James Gaither Jr and wife Dana of Olathe, KS, Jay Gaither and significant other Flora of Overland Park, KS, and Laura Fisher of Butler, MO. 7 grandchildren, Angie (Jason), Benji (Tonya), Sean (Tessa), Erin (Alexis), Stephanie (Jeff), Brooke (Ryan) and Lane; 11 great-grandchildren, Parker, Sadie, Violet, Cody (Abbey), Max (Sidney), Mason, Austin, Kin, Lucas, Robert and Sawyer; and 2 great-great-grandchildren, Oliver and Ellie. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James Gaither; three brothers and two sisters.
