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Gayera Johnson Trabont, D.Min., departed this life Thursday, March 17, 2022. She was born August 2, 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2022 from 10:30 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. at Dukes Cemetery in White Oak. Graveside services will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. at Dukes Cemetery. Bro. Jerry File will officiate. Colonial Chapel Funeral Home of Magee is in charge of arrangements. 601-849-5031
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack L. Trabont; parents, Lonnie B. and Vera Johnson.
Survivors include her daughter, Rita Moore; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; sister, Jackie Causey (Mark Alan); nephew, Mark Alan Causey, Jr.; niece, Eliza Jo Causey.
She attended Jackson Public Schools and graduated from Murrah High School in 1958. After graduating from Belhaven College, she pursued a teaching career with the Pearl Elementary School. Later, she took the reigns of a completely different challenge as the Principal for the Mississippi School for the Blind (MSB). The Superintendent “Chief Benton” introduced Gayera to Lions Clubs when she was 30 years old. (A delegate from Lions Clubs International recently presented her an award for 50 years of dedicated membership.) Her Lions Club built and furnished a clinic for Optometrist Glen Stribling to see patients on campus in 1977 – which is on-going today. Blind babies are serviced statewide by itinerate teachers through a program she developed called CHIPS. Other states have since adopted her on campus programs for clinics and CHIPS. Various local Lions Clubs have sponsored a Christmas parties for the MSB since 1921.
Gayera became Mrs. T. when she married Dr. Jack Trabont in 1980. Following her Lord and Savior, Mrs. T. earned her Doctorate degree from New Orleans Baptist Seminary. After visiting orphanages in China, she saw a profound need for blind students to be included in the foreign exchange program. She arranged to have seven high school students from Mongolia, Russia, and Korea attend MSB for 2 years.
Next, worthy guide dog puppies were acclimated to the MSB campus in 1995 through 1997. Puppy “Walkers” trained Labrador retrievers in classrooms and homes for 6 to 12 months. In 2009, Mrs. T. and her former students, Becky Floyd and Buddy Collins, formed a guide dog school. Gallant Hearts Guide Dog Center is located in Madison, Mississippi.
After retirement from MSB, she taught at Southwest Academy. Then later established her own Lighthouse Academy for 5 years.
Visually impaired and blind children were her total focus for more than 30 years.
Mrs. T. was an active member of Woodland Hills Baptist Church for many years. She later attended a little “church in wildwoods’ in Raymond, MS, Highpointe Baptist which has claimed her as a Sunday School teacher. Focusing on Jesus always, Gayera has been telling the “old old story” of her Savior and his love and salvation for all.
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