Vivial Washington Gladden

Vivial Washington Gladden (also known as “Vicky/Sweetie”) of Silver Spring, Maryland formerly of Altheimer, Arkansas and Detroit Michigan, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 11, 2025, at Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, MD. Vivial Washington Gladden was born on Tuesday, June 23, 1936, to the late James Washington and Annie Rice Washington. She was raised in Altheimer, Arkansas where she graduated from Altheimer High School. After graduating high school her family moved to Detroit, Michigan then she and her youngest sister Miriam moved to Washington DC. In 1999 while serving as the leader of an adult ladies Sunday School class at Colesville Baptist Church, she gave her testimony, which was recorded. Here are some of the best quotes from that testimony, that will tell you all who Vivial was and how much Jesus meant to her. He was, and is still, her very best friend. “I was born and raised in Altheimer, Arkansas, a great place to be raised in, and a great place to be away from!” “Shortly after high school we moved to Detroit, Michigan, but I couldn’t get a job there, so my parents asked me to go with my baby sister Miriam and move to Washington, D.C. I did NOT want to go! I cried and cried till I had no more tears to cry, and the Lord told me that if I would give my tears to Him, He would make sure that they turned dry!” “Not long after I dreamed I met my husband, I went to work the next day and looked at every guy there, but none of them were him!” “A year later I met a guy and married him, and it wasn’t until we had been married for about a year and a half that I realized Frank Gladden was the man IN my dream and the man OF my dreams!” We lived in DC and then moved to Silver Spring, MD, but I was still going to church in DC. One Sunday I went to church, and I was late, so they wouldn’t let me inside because service had already started. I turned around and got back in my car to drive home and said ‘Lord, please give me a church.’ And he said, your church is right around the corner from your house. The next Sunday I joined Colesville Baptist and have been attending and serving there since.” “The biggest lesson I learned is that God created me to be an encourager. He wanted me to encourage others to be just a little bit closer to Him. He made me a hugger and told me that He wanted me to be the friend to others that I wanted someone to be to me! He also taught me that no matter where I worked or fellowshipped, I was always working for Him!” Vivial and her husband of 58 years Frank Andrew Gladden attended Colesville Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland from 1978 to 2017. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Frank Andrew Gladden, two of her three sisters, Lillie Washington Laws (Joe), and Jamie Washington, and her four brothers James Washington, Jr., Ezell Washington (Delores), Clifton Washington, Sr. (Ernestine), and Houston Washington (Marie), and her great- granddaughter Nevaeh Grimes. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her favorite daughter, Andrea Gladden of Adelphi, MD, her favorite son Kenneth Gladden, and her favorite daughter-in-love (law) Faith Gladden, of Hurst, TX. She also leaves 3 much beloved grandchildren: Deion Gladden, Sr., Destiny Gladden, and Donovan Gladden of Texas. She leaves 4 great grandchildren, Marquis Mays (7 years old), Deion Gladden, Jr. (6 years old), Khalil Loving (4 years old) and Halo Loving (2.5 years old). She also leaves her sister Miriam Adofo (Samuel) and a host of nieces, nephews, and too many friends to name. All who knew her loved her and were changed for the better by her being in their lives. She will be extremely missed by us all. We know we will see her again in heaven! A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 1:00PM at the Colesville Baptist Church, 13100 Andrew Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20904. The entire Gladden family would like to extend our sincerest thanks and gratitude to our extended family, friends, and supportive community for the flowers, phone calls, and texts. We love you all! We would also like to thank Colesville Baptist Church for allowing us to have the memorial service here and the repast immediately following, to which all are invited. Thank you Colesville Baptist!

Vivial Washington Gladden

June 23, 1936 - August 11, 2025