MOTORING
Gloria Minghella: Island Life tribute
G
loria Minghella, a prominent
Island figure who sadly
died recently following a
long illness, had a simple
philosophy for her tireless work. She said:
“My motto has always been ‘just get on
with it’.”
And get on with it she did until she
passed away at the Earl Mountbatten
Hospice, aged 83. A leading charity
worker who also brought the Citizen’s
Advice Bureau to the Isle of Wight, Gloria
was made an MBE in 2007 for her
services to the community.
She endured two personal
tragedies during her life. The first
was when she was a young girl and
her parents’ marriage broke up,
resulting in an unhappy childhood.
But the most devastating loss came
in 2008 when her son Anthony, an
Oscar-winning film director, died
suddenly.
But Gloria overcame adversity,
and with her husband Eddie
52
www.visitilife.com
founded Minghella’s Ice Cream at
Wootton. Gloria met Edward about three
months after they arrived on the Isle of
Wight, at a dance on Christmas Eve. She
once said: “He was an unusual man, just
out of the army. He had had no formal
education, but his command of the
language was amazing. He was reading
Dickens when I met him.”
They courted for three years, Edward
coming over on the early ferry so they
could walk and talk together, before
returning to do a day’s work at the ice
cream company for which he worked.
They married at St Mary’s, Ryde, in 1950.
During her life she had been an Isle of
Wight Deputy Lord Lieutenant, as well as
being involved in numerous charities and
organisations. It was her charity work that
was recognised with her MBE, although
she once revealed: “I almost turned it
down. Getting recognition isn’t why you
do it. But I accepted it for all those people
who respond when I ask for help.”
She also became president of the
Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and often
praised the work of its staff and
unpaid volunteers, saying: “It's one
of the things I feel really happy
about. I did contribute something
to the Island. They gave to me and I
tried to give back."
She leaves her husband, son
Dominic, a renowned scriptwriter
and three daughters, Gioia, who
runs the family ice cream business,
Loretta and Edana.