Gladys Lillian Chernecky

Gladys Lillian Chernecky, 89 of Seminole, Florida, formerly of Orange, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on October 26, 2018. Gladys was the beloved wife of the late William Chernecky and daughter of the late Lillian Mckenzie Forrester and John Forrester. She graduated from Bay Ridge High School in Brooklyn, New York. She received a B.S. degree from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. She was a member of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). She worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital and later at St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. She also worked at her son’s insurance office of Shield Insurance of Tampa Bay where she was a licensed agent.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks and was also a member of the Congregation Ohr Chadash Synagogue. She was a proud member of the Scottish Cultural Society. Her grandparents were both sea captains, the Forresters from the Clyde-Mallory Lines and the Mckenzies from the Cunard Lines. Gladys loved being by the water and also adored her father John Forrester. He was the union president of the New York City maintenance workers for 30 years. He was also a pioneer of the labor movement in the United States along with being president of the New York state democratic party for 6 years.

She lost her mother Lillian when she was 8 years old and dearly missed her throughout her life. She is survived by her three loving children, Dr. William Chernecky of Seminole, Gordon Chernecky of Seminole and Gail Rehka of Largo, two loving grandchildren Holley Lawson of Tampa, and Heather Rehka of Largo, and two loving great-grandsons Landan and Liam Lawson.

Services will be held at First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, 12685 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774 on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. A Visitation will commence at 4:00 pm with the Funeral Service following at 5:00 p.m. Burial will be take place afterwards at the church cemetery.