Gladys Marie Daher Zrake

OBITUARY
GLADYS MARIE DAHER ZRAKE
August 12, 1931 October 21, 2025

Gladys Marie Daher Zrake passed into the glorious life everlasting on October 21, in the year of our Lord 2025 at the age of 94.

Gladys Zrake was born August 12, 1931, in Atlantic City, New Jersey of immigrant parents. Her father Nicholas Gabriel Daher was from Damascus, Syria and her mother Alexandra Saba was from Beirut, Lebanon.

As a young child, Gladys enjoyed helping her parents in their Pleasantville, NJ confectionary store serving candy and ice cream to her friends, making her very popular. When she was 10 years old, her parents moved to Chester, Pennsylvania where Gladys graduated from Chester High School in 1949. That same year, she married John Najeeb Zrake of Brooklyn, New York. They were married for 58 years and raised two sons, James Nicholas Zrake and Steven John Zrake in New Jersey.

Like many from “The Greatest Generation”, Gladys was an extremely hard working and consummate professional. She graduated from Bergen College, New Jersey with advanced certificates in Property and Casualty Insurance underwriting. Gladys obtained the position of Property and Casualty Risk Manager in the Department of Treasury, State of New Jersey where she worked for nearly 20 years before retiring.

Gladys and John Zrake moved to Grapevine, Texas in 2005 to live next door to their beloved son, Steven and his dear wife, Mary Ann. Sadly, John passed away in 2007. Gladys often commented on how she loved the home Steven built for them noting it was her favorite of all the homes she lived in over her lifetime.

After moving to Texas, Gladys quickly adapted to becoming a Texan. She felt blessed in every way expressing joy and gratitude for her full and rewarding life surrounded by family and friends. She loved White’s Chapel Methodist Church which was interwoven into so much of her life, especially the Music Department where she volunteered and the Classic Adult Fellowship ministry. Gladys played competitive Bridge much of her life and loved her partners who became treasured friends. James Jared was also her special friend.

Gladys’s life and memory are forever cherished by her loving son, Steven and wife Mary Ann, grandchildren Nicole Zrake, Heidi Watkins (Haden), Jonathan Zrake (Liana) and great-grandchildren Scarlet Rose Watkins, Mira Zhenli and Nathaniel Najeeb Zrake. Gladys was preceded in death by her son James, her husband John and her parents Nicholas and Alexandra Daher.

A Celebration of Life will be held on November 20 at 2 p.m. in Grace Chapel at White’s Chapel Methodist Church, 185 S. White Chapel Blvd, Southlake, Texas 76092 followed by a reception in The Parlor. Immediate family will participate in the Inurnment at the White’s Chapel Columbarium and Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to White’s Chapel Methodist Church, Southlake, Texas to benefit the Care and Support and Music ministries.

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