Gilda Doris John, age 58, of Bastrop, Texas, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Gilda was the youngest of four daughters born to Tom and Doris Blair on August 11, 1953 in Houston, Texas. She grew up in Houston and graduated from Jefferson Davis High School.

Gilda married Verne Hollis John in Houston, Texas on October 21, 1977 and has two children, son Tre' Lyons John and daughter Jami Lee John. Gilda graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas with a Bachelor's degree in English in 1996. She worked at Fluor Daniels and Exxon Oil Corporation in Houston, Texas and later worked at Texas A&M University before she retired in 2008.

Gilda loved humor and wrote columns for the Franklin News Weekly and Franklin Advocate for several years while living in New Baden, Texas. Verne and Gilda later moved to Bryan, Texas and in the past year lived in Bastrop, Texas. She was a devoted student of scripture throughout her life, dedicated to in-depth study of the Torah and Hebrew texts. She walked in faith with God with peace and grace each day.

Gilda was preceded in death by her father Tom Blair, of Franklin, Texas, and sister Donna Rowell of Livingston, Texas. She is survived by her husband Verne John of Bastrop, Texas, her son Tre' John and wife Jenny of Watauga, Texas, her daughter Jami John of Austin, Texas, and grandchildren Gabriel Lyons John and Madeline Rose John. She is also survived by her mother Doris Blair of Franklin, Texas, and her sister Bonnie and husband Wayne White Sr. of Franklin, Texas and her sister Jeannie Bowman of Franklin, Texas, and many nieces and nephews.

Family visitation and funeral services are at McCauley Funeral Home, Franklin, Texas, on Monday, February 13, 2012, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., public visitation on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by funeral services at 2:00 p.m. The service will be officiated by Mr. Shmuel "Sam" Peak, and pallbearers are Pat Fancher, Russell Kirk, Dave Koons, Nester Leamon, Stephen Maldonado, Alfred Valdez, Dax Valdez, Wayne White, Sr. Graveside services to follow at Camp Creek Cemetery, New Baden Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The Temple Institute in memory of Gilda John. These donations may be made online at http://www.bfm101.com/templeinstituted.htm, or mail a donation, include in the memo line "Temple Institute in Memory of Gilda John" or "In Memory of Gilda John", to Biblical Faith, Inc., P.O. Box 2, Abilene, Texas 79604, or The Temple Institute, P. O. Box 31876, Jerusalem, Israel 91317.