Obituary: Gloria Anne (Swearingen) DeCapua

Gloria Anne
(Swearingen) DeCapua

SCARBOROUGH – Gloria Anne Swearingen DeCapua, 86, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, surrounded by family.

Born in Bath, Gloria was the oldest child of Charles Wesley Swearingen and Dorothy Louise Parshley Swearingen of Wesley Street.

Gloria attended Bath schools, where she was active in sports, music, and dance, earning a nomination to the Maine Girls All-State program. In 1958, she graduated from Morse High School as an honor student and member of the National Honor Society. She had the honor of performing a solo during her graduation ceremony.

After graduating, Gloria attended the Hartford, Conn. Personnel Airline School. She then married Wesley DeCapua, and the couple settled in Wiscasset, where they welcomed three children, Christopher, Laurie, and Cheryl.

While living in Wiscasset, Gloria served as a Girl Scout leader for her daughters’ troop and was active in St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and the Cursillo movement. She also assisted with one of Margaret Chase Smith’s U.S. Senate campaigns.

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In 1976, the family relocated to Cape Elizabeth. Gloria remained active in the Episcopal Church, serving as a choir member and altar guild volunteer at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth and later at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Portland. As her children grew older, she began working outside the home.

In the 1990s, Gloria lived in Pensacola, Fla., where she continued singing in the choir and participating in the Cursillo movement at St. John’s Episcopal Church. As her family grew, she returned to Cape Elizabeth, rejoined St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, and worked at Viking Nursing Home as a CMT until her retirement.

After retirement, she moved to Bridgton, where she attended St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, sang in the choir, and volunteered in the church’s outreach programs. She enjoyed ceramics and watercolor painting, and had a passion for animals, especially wild birds.

Throughout her life, Gloria took immense pride in her faith and her role as the matriarch of her family.

She was predeceased by her son, Christopher.

She is survived by her two daughters, Laurie Roberts and Cheryl Joys; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

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