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Gladys Hearne Ballett/Tanz

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* 27.04.1927 in Muncie, IN Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika

+ 16.09.2009 in Muncie, IN Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika

Todesursache: after a short illness

Biografie

A friend of mine, Gladys Hearne passed away recently. Even though I hadn’t seen her in years, she had a huge impact on my life and the lives of many others. She was absolutely one of a kind, a free spirit and one of those wise, rare old souls, full of life and a driving compassion. In my ‘About’ page here on my blog, I mention following one’s bliss and how it takes strength and courage. Outside of my parents, Gladys was the first person who taught me that, and at an early age. Please take a moment and read her obit below through to the end – like Gladys herself, it’s a gift. I did my first play when I was five, at our Civic Theatre, playing ‘little red riding hood’. Gladys was costumer (and costumed me many times years after) but it was my very first time on stage and I was terrified. I vividly remember her backstage arranging my red velvet cape (which she made herself, and years later gave to me), and she squatted down eye-level with me. She looked at me very intensely with those beautiful, exotic eyes with the huge fake lashes and she said, ‘You’ll be fine. This is your home.� She told me I was beautiful. She told me that she knew that I loved what I was doing and that I need to go out there and enjoy it – soak it up. She took me seriously, she trusted me, knew somehow that this is all I wanted to do and therefore taught me to trust myself. And I did. For the next 35 years. So here’s to my dear friend Gladys Hearne and the great love of her life, Eddie, also passed. May they happily enjoy their reunion. Please enjoy her story. Gladys Hearne Muncie, Indiana You are dancing with God. You are dancing with yourself. You are dancing in the light. –Shirley McLaine A beaufiul and bright star was born on April 27, 1927 to Swedish immigrants, Ole and Nellie Soderberg in Superior Wisconsin. Gladys is survived by daughter Dalana E. Smith and husband, Clifford of Port Townsend, WA; son, Dallas E. Bolander, Jr., and wife, Teddy of Kokomo, IN; sister Ruth Thompson of Eugene, OR; several nieces, nephews and grandchildren. As a young girl, it took one Shirley Temple movie and she was hooked on show business…setting her sights and heart on becoming a movie actress. She immediately started to hone her talents – performing in grade and high school plays and groups; writing her own plays, songs, and skits that she’d direct and perform in (even if only on her parents’ front porch). At 16 years old and before graduating, her burning desire prompted her to take off for Minneapolis – where she auditioned and landed a summer job with a well-known burlesque theatre. In no time, she went from the chorus’ back row to a featured dancer, singer and comedy performer. To avoid returning to school and home, she set out to meet a pen pal in Indianapolis and they quickly married and had a son and daughter before ending their marriage when she was just 21. Both children were lovingly raised for most of their childhood by paternal or maternal grandparents. In the early 1950s, Gladys returned to the stage and traveled throughout the country (often billed as Mademoiselle Gee Gee) until 1967 – constantly working as a dancer, singer, actress, radio/television and nightclub performer, seamstress, director and choreographer. While in Hollywood, she was discovered by Cecille B. DeMille and cast in his film ‘The King of Kings’ but she was injured and hospitalized with a serious back injury that required a long recuperation. It was a missed opportunity to break into the movies that she so adored. That burning desire never faded. There was a brief 2nd marriage before she met and married the love of her life, Eddie B. Hearne. He traveled with her and manager her career for years. Upon retirement from professional engagements and constant trveling – they chose Muncie to settle down in (after numerous, packed engagements at the ’67 Supper Club). She quickly and wholeheartedly dedicated herself to local theatre – making then a dilapidated Muncie Civic Theatre her home base. The theatre happily consumed every talent she had and no job was too small, too dirty or too physical for her. No stage role was too small for her big talents and no costume was too simple or complicated for her astonishing seamstress abilities. For decades her love affair with the theatre was only interrupted by frequent world-wide cruise ship journeys with Eddie. All trips were carefully planned around every production she was involved with. Her incredible seamstress work for stages shows became legendary and many Midwest theatres sought out her multiple award-winning costumes and ideas. Gladys had a huge uncensored and outgoing personality – who never allowed anyone to feel like a stranger or outcast. She didn’t know how to pass by an animal without giving it attention and covering it with kisses. Her own cats meant everything to her and Eddie. Eddie died in 2002 after being struck by a car while on one of his many, long daily walks. With her own health and agility failing, she kept mostly to her home and to herself for the rest of her life. In lieu of flowers (she only liked the artificial ones anyway) please share your affection with a critter today and then donate, in her name, anything you can afford to The Animal Rescue Fund (ARF).

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