Gladys Jean Lawless Clonch, age 80, originally from Jamestown, KY passed away at her home in Bowling Green, KY on August 17, 2026 surrounded by her loving family (husband and daughter). Gladys was born April 19, 1946 in Jamestown, KY the daughter of 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 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.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Forrest and Jewell Lawless, her brother Jack Lawless, her sisters Betty Carnes, Debra Wade, Janet Polston and Jerry Moore.
She was preceded in death by her son, US Army LTC Travis Clonch (40). Of which 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 include her husband Kenneth Clonch, originally of West Virginia; one daughter, Yvette Sanders (Brad), of Bowling Green, KY; a daughter-in-law, Kim Clonch, of Nolensville, TN. Seven 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; One great grandchild Layton Stidham, of Covington , KY; One brother Jimmy Lawless, of Jamestown, KY;
The family request that expressions of sympathy take the form in donations to Melanoma Research Alliance. It was the loss of her son to melanoma cancer that proved 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.
Graveside Services will be held on Friday August 21, 2026, 12:00 PM at the Jack Lawless Cemetery in Jamestown, KY.