Our beautiful mother, Geraldine “Gerri” “GiGi” Aylor, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday July 18th, 2026.
Gerri was born to Carl S. Johnson and Martha E. Soldowski on November 24, 1936, in Bowlegs, Oklahoma. She married the love of her life, Bobby (Bob) Jack Aylor, on May 18, 1957, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Together they built a beautiful life and lovingly raised four children: Robin, Melody, Crystal, and Jon.
Gerri lived life to the fullest. Her days were filled with joy, adventure, creativity, and wonder. Above all else, she loved Jesus and her family, and that love was evident in everything she did. She was a gifted artist who delighted in painting, sculpture, ceramics, and nearly every form of arts and crafts. She was an avid gardener, an outdoors woman, and an enthusiastic hunter who proudly harvested her first deer at the age of 70 and never lost her love for the outdoors. Gerri possessed a boundless curiosity and an infectious excitement for all of God’s creation. She was also an enthusiastic collector of unique treasures, gathering beautiful and interesting items throughout the years that filled her home with creativity and sparked countless conversations. Among her favorite collections were rocks. Raised as a “rockhound” by her own mother, Gerri proudly passed that tradition on to her family - much to their amusement - as they hauled what seemed like a literal ton of rocks with every household move.
Above all, Gerri’s life was defined by her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. At the age of 14, she accepted Jesus as her Savior at First Baptist Church in Durant, Oklahoma, in a life-changing experience accompanied by a remarkable testimony of God’s miraculous work. For decades, she faithfully served her church by teaching Sunday School and Bible studies to children, youth, and adults. Her dedication to sharing God’s Word was so great that she continued teaching Sunday School into her eighties. Although she deeply loved life and embraced the beauty of the world around her, she often reminded her family how eagerly she anticipated the return of her Savior.
Gerri was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bobby Jack Aylor; her parents, Carl S. Johnson and Martha E. Soldowski; her brother, Earnest Johnson; her sister-in-law, Sharon Johnson; and her precious great-granddaughter, Magdalen Andersen. She is survived by her four children: Robin Aylor of Woodward, Oklahoma; Melody and Chris Trent of Gage, Oklahoma; Crystal and Leland Castor of Mutual, Oklahoma; and Jon Aylor of Woodward, Oklahoma.
She also leaves behind ten cherished grandchildren: Amber and Kody Andersen, Christopher and Callie Castor, Daniel and Whitney Castor, Bobbi and Nathan Holliday, Nicholas Trent, Morgan and Jeremy Gauntt, Jordan and Katie Trent, Crystal and Andy Hethcote, Kendra and Mike Gibson, and Brooklynn and Caden Harper; and thirty-one treasured great-grandchildren: Felix and Magnus Andersen; Kai and Lucy Castor; Elizabeth, Abel, Charis, Ella, Eliezer and Emily Castor; Aylor, Hendrix and Jovi Holliday; Jaxson, Maddox, and Lyla Gauntt; Rex, Hallee, Eliza, Jovie, and Banner Trent; Hank, Mack, Townes, Oakes, and Caddo Hethcote; Morning McKibbin and Birdie Gibson; Quinn & Brooks, Alexander and Beckham Harper.
She is also survived by a host of dear friends and extended family members who loved her and were deeply loved in return. Gerri leaves behind a remarkable legacy of steadfast faith, unconditional love, creativity, curiosity, and joyful service. Her influence lives on not only in her family but also in the countless lives she touched through her kindness, her teaching, her encouragement, and her unwavering testimony of God’s goodness. Her family grieves with hope, knowing that the Savior she faithfully served throughout her life has now welcomed her home with the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant."
Memorial donations may be made to the Kindredlight Foundation / Pakistan Missions c/o Shaw Funeral Home, P.O. Box 276, Vici, OK 73859.
Services were held Friday July 24, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church: Kansas Campus in Woodward, OK. Graveside services were held Friday, July 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Little Cemetery in Little, OK. Condolences may be made to the family at shawfuneralhome.net. Shaw Funeral Home of Vici.