Dr. Gloria Correro

Funeral services for retired university administrator Dr. Gloria Collum Correro, 82, of Starkville will be held Friday, Dec. 22 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held at the church on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Father Jason Johnston will officiate – and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. prior to the service.

Known to her family as “Glo,” Dr. Correro died Tuesday, Dec. 19 at her home following a lengthy illness. At the time of her death, Mississippi State University still recognized her rank as Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Associate Dean, College of Education, Emerita.

Gloria was born August 24, 1941, in Schlater, Mississippi, the daughter of the late William Elmo Collum and Maebelle Henderson Collum. She was educated in the Greenwood Public Schools.

During her Greenwood High School years, she began dating friend John Correro. They married on Jan. 28, 1962, while completing their undergraduate degrees at MSU. Their friendship, framed in over six decades of marriage, endured.

At MSU, Gloria was a member of Chi Omega Sorority and MSU’s Famous Maroon Band, where she was head majorette. She was also a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the education honorary fraternity, a Reserve Officer Training Corps sponsor, a Reveille favorite, and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Gloria earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Mississippi State University in 1962 and 1963, respectively. Following graduation, she taught 5th grade in the Starkville Municipal School District. She later earned a doctorate in elementary education in 1975 from the University of Alabama.

The couple moved to Natchez in 1964, where they both accepted teaching positions. Five years later, the Correros returned to Starkville to embark on powerful careers at their alma mater that would span some five decades.

With a love of teaching and a heart for children, Gloria found her path to success through the MSU College of Education. Beginning as a part-time instructor and graduate assistant in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, she assumed progressive roles, serving as assistant professor, assistant department head and associate dean for instruction.

She also served on many state and national early childhood education panels, including an appointment to the National Reading Panel, and was instrumental in the development of MSU’s Aiken Village Preschool and the MSU/Starkville Cooperative Demonstration Kindergarten.

After the Mississippi Education Reform Act of 1982 added kindergarten programs, Gloria served on the state Education Department committee that established uniform guidelines for the program. She later directed the subsequent statewide assessment for the Mississippi Board of Education, which ultimately secured funding for public school kindergarten.

Gloria received many awards during her years in education including being named the MSU College of Education Alumna of the Year in 2003. Other honors included Starkville Education Hall of Fame, Council for Advancement and Support of Education Professor of the Year and MSU Alumni Faculty Achievement Teaching Award. She was the 2006 Delta Kappa Gamma, Alpha Kappa Chapter Red Rose Recipient.

The winner of dozens of teaching awards, highlights included: Outstanding Faculty Member - MSU Student Association, 1989; Distinguished Major Professor Award - Association of Teacher Educators, 1987; Phi Delta Kappa Teaching Award, 1982; Faculty Achievement Teaching Award - MSU Alumni Association, 1981; and Outstanding Leadership and Service Award – President’s Commission on the Status of Women, MSU, 1979. She retired from the university in 1999.

In addition to their professional careers, the Correros invested in their alma mater through their financial gifts. Over the years, they have supported areas including the College of Education, student scholarships, athletics and the Hunter Henry Center, which houses the MSU Alumni Association and Foundation.

The Correros created the John V. and Dr. Gloria C. Correro Annual Scholarship. Candidates for the award are full-time juniors and seniors in the College of Education who have earned a 3.0 GPA, with preference to students from Oktibbeha County.

Left to cherish Dr. Correro’s memory includes John V. Correro of Starkville, her husband of 61 years; daughter Kimberly C. Fandel (Steve) of Belden; son Chris Correro (Danielle) of Ridgeland; five grandchildren Peyton Fandel (Catherine), Jonathan Fandel (Brittany), Drew Fandel (Anne Claire), Jace Correro, and Mae Correro; four great-grandchildren Winn Fandel, Bennett Fandel, Jane Fandel and Emma Fandel; sister Linda C. Davis; and a number of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Murray Elmo Collum.

The family expresses their appreciation to Mississippi Home Care of Starkville, Sanctuary Hospice of Tupelo, and her care giver Brenda Jones.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the John V. and Dr. Gloria C. Correro Annual Scholarship, P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762, or digitally by contacting www.msufoundation.com.