Gladys Jean Lawless Clonch, 80, originally from Jamestown, KY passed away at her home in Bowling Green, KY on Monday, August 17, 2026 surrounded by her loving family (husband and daughter). Gladys was born April 19, 1946 in Jamestown, KY the daughter ot the late Jewell (Loy) and Forrest Lawless.
She was one of seven born to the Lawless family of which she would always proclaim "we may have not had much, but we had a lot of love and laughter and we knew no better"
She started out working in the Courthouse in downtown Louisville, KY, transitioning to a homemaker for her family. She most embraced the role of wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, church volunteer in her ongoing caregiving towards others through all of her life. She was an exceptional piano player, filling her home with music and providing the music for the siblings singing at all the family gatherings. But it was playing with her son, Travis, that gave her the most joy the battling of piano's made anyone jump from their chair in awe of such shared talent.
She had a blessed life of marriage to Kenneth Clonch for 47 years with two children, Yvette Sanders and Travis Clonch. Many years of memories in different homes from Louisville, KY to Tracy, CA to their final residence in Bowling Green, KY that all bore much laughter and love. She devoted her life to her husband, children and grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by a brother, Jack Lawless and four sisters: Betty Carnes, Debra Wade, Janet Polston and Jerry Moore. She was preceded in death by her son, US Army LTC Travis Clonch (40). Both fought their battles respectively, with cancer together. Her fight was never in the forefront; she never wavered from her son's fight to always be beyond her own.
SURVIVORS:
Her husband of 47 years: Kenneth Clonch (originally of West Virginia)
1 daughter: Yvette Sanders (Brad) of Bowling Green, KY
Daughter-in-law: Kim Clonch of Nolensville, TN
7 grandchildren: Stephanie Stidham (Josh) of Covington, KY; Kanyon Sanders of Overland Park, Kansas; Livalynn Sanders and Layllie Sanders of Bowling Green, KY; Ryder, Holston and Milo Clonch of Nolensville, TN
1 great-grandchild: Layton Stidham of Covington, KY
1 brother: Jimmy Lawless of Jamestown, KY
Her husband and daughter would like to extend their thankfulness to Taylor with Hospice of Bowling Green, KY. Her kind attention, care, and direction in helping us care for Gladys in her ability to be able to pass away peacefully in her home. They would also like to extend their thankfulness to all the friends and family that prayed diligently over us during this time.
Graveside Service: Friday August 21, 2026 at 12:00 PM at the Jack Lawless Cemetery in Jamestown, KY
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Melanoma Research Alliance. It was the loss of her son to melanoma cancer that proved to be the most difficult time in her lifetime. MRA is a nonprofit that works diligently to try to find new treatments and advanced early detection for a difficult cancer diagnosis.
H.E. Pruitt Memory Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
