Gaynell Banks Johnson went to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ early on Saturday, January 16, 2010, at age 92, after an extended bout with cancer. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 2010, at Eastside Baptist Church. Rev. Jim Wiley will officiate with burial to follow in Tift Memorial Gardens. Lee Marshall, Adam Hampton, Braxton Driskell, Paul Driskell, David Ray, Russell Luke and Paul Moyer will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Sunday, January 17, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Johnson had resided in Brunswick for the past 3 ½ years and spent the last four months at Hospice of the Golden Isles. Prior to moving to Brunswick, she lived the majority of her life in Brookfield and Tifton.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Thomas Johnson. In the early years of their marriage, she worked alongside her husband, who was a self-employed mechanic. She was a homemaker for many years and, after the death of her husband, she returned to the work force as a receptionist. Her last position of many years was with the Veterans Administration in Tifton. She took great pride in her work and received several commendations upon her retirement at age 88. She will probably be remembered the most, especially by her family, for her great cooking skills. Nothing gave her more enjoyment than cooking for her family and friends.
She was a long-time member of Brookfield Baptist Church in Brookfield and, then, Eastside Baptist Church in Tifton. After moving to Brunswick, she was a member at Bible Baptist Church. She was always a devoted member of her church family and loved the Lord.
Mrs. Johnson is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Kim Marshall of Saint Simons Island; three grandchildren and their spouses, Alana and Adam Hampton of Brunswick, Kate Marshall of Concord, North Carolina, and Lee and Leigh Ellen Marshall of Jupiter, Florida; one great grandchild, Amelia Carys Hampton of Brunswick; and one sister, Leah Evans of Tifton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Eastside Baptist Church in Tifton, 1490 Kennedy Road, Tifton, GA 31794, of Hospice of the Golden Isles, 1692 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, GA 31525.