Gladys Irene (Staigle) Bray, 99, of Rapid City, SD, passed away on February 16, 2026, in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Monument Hospice House.

Gladys was born in Rapid City, South Dakota to Mercy (Ogden) and Charles Staigle on November 30, 1926. Gladys graduated from Rapid City High School in 1945 with honors. It was at Rapid City High School where she met Richard. When Richard (Dick) returned from Germany after World War II, the couple married on July 8,1948, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. They were married for 74 years.

While Dick was overseas during World War II, Gladys joined the thousands of other women of her generation who trained and served their country at home. Gladys became a certified meteorologist serving at the Army Air Base. Until her passing, she loved to watch and talk about the weather-especially about cloud formations. Sometime after the war and her marriage to Dick, Gladys went to work for Lyndell Peterson at the Pennington Country Extension Office where she worked until her retirement. She and husband Dick volunteered for many years with 4-H groups as well as the Western Junior Livestock Show. They also belonged to and enjoyed the Cosmopolitan Club. They both received the Good Neighbor Award from the Catalyst Club in 2018. Gladys loved music and was particularly fond of opera. All of her children were involved in music, and she rarely missed a concert. She loved sewing and was an artist at creating clothing, draperies, and upholstery, among other things. She also enjoyed baking and decorating wedding cakes for friends and family. As a member of the Garden Club she enjoyed gardening, flower arranging, and wreath making. In their younger years, Gladys and Dick enjoyed square dancing and archery.

Gladys is survived by her children David, Mark (Katie), Karen, and Kevin (Betty); 20 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Mercy; her husband Richard; son, Darrell; and, son-in-law Roger.