Gloria Elaine Foster Inabinette was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, on September 2, 1938, to Rufus Herbert Foster, Sr., and Henrietta Crystal Littlejohn Foster. A graduate of Granard High School, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a minor in Math from South Carolina State College and later received a Master’s degree in Education from Winthrop College in 1984. From an early age, she was a devoted member of Dunton United Methodist Church, where she served as church secretary, trustee board member, and organist for twenty-five years.
Gloria taught for thirty years in Cherokee County School District One, beginning at Granard High School and retiring from Gaffney High School as an English teacher in 1991. After starting her teaching career, she met the love of her life, Elijah Inabinette Jr. They shared fifty-three wonderful years of marriage filled with laughter and deep companionship. Those who knew them often remarked that they were like two peas in a pod. Together they raised two beloved sons, Ray and Tony, both of whom graduated from Clemson University with degrees in electrical engineering.
A life member of the South Carolina Education Association Retired, the National Education Association Retired, the NAACP, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gloria lived a life marked by faith, dedication to education, and unwavering love for her family. She passed away peacefully on February 28, 2026, at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Dr. Rufus H. Foster, Jr., sisters Felicia F. Davis and Rosmaree P. Foster, brother Ellington L. Foster, and several brothers- and sisters-in-law. She leaves behind two sons, Ray L. Inabinette of Alexandria, Virginia, and Tony N. Inabinette of the home; a brother, Dr. T. Littlejohn Foster (Sandy) of Charlotte, North Carolina; a sister, Madelyn Foster Daniels of Chattanooga, Tennessee; brothers- and sisters-in-law, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends who will cherish her memory.
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