Mrs. Gloria Mae Shareef Prather

Mrs. Gloria Mae Shareef Prather departed this life and took the wings of a dove to enter her eternal rest with Jesus Christ on August 22, 2026.

She was educated in the Petersburg, Virginia, public school system. Gloria worked for many years at John Randolph Medical Center (now known as Tri-Cities Medical Center). She made many friends there and was known for her good humor and hard-working attitude. She could make anyone smile. She married Deacon Joe Edward Prather on August 19, 2000, and they made their home in Hopewell, Virginia, after he retired from the United States Army. She joined True Light Christian Church and served alongside her husband. Gloria was a born-again believer and was faithful in her service to the Lord no matter where she attended church. She was known for livening up the praise and worship service with the joyful sound of her tambourine.

She was an avid collector of decorative elephants. She loved baking and frequently served up her treats at church. And she loved shopping, and everything had to be "top of the line."

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband, Deacon Joe Prather; her beloved daughter, Raynell Shareef; and her grandson, Antonio Banks. She leaves to mourn her passing and to cherish her memory: a son, James Banks; a sister, Annie Major; a brother, Claude Williams; grandchildren, Lakesha Banks Wright, DeAnthony Shareef, and Darshell Stallings; a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, among them a devoted nephew, John Williams; and friends. Among her most cherished friends are Roscoe Collins, Emily and Hope Brown, Benita Jones, Patricia Sigle, Shelia and Wyman Smith, Mozelle Ridley, Lorraine Rich, Vicky Alford, Linda Mohammad, Waddell and Willie Anne Otey, Danita Harris, Muriel Burton, Robin (John) Kutch, Joseph (Phyllis) Carter, and Faye Barksdale.

A funeral celebrating the life of Mrs. Gloria Mae Shareef Prather will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Hopewell Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home. A visitation will be held the night prior from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the funeral home. Interment will take place Saturday after the funeral, and Gloria will be laid to rest in Appomattox Cemetery, Hopewell, VA.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)