Geraline Lewis Gilyard

Dr. Geraline L. Gilyard was born and reared in Miami's historical section of Overtown. She was the daughter of the late Mr. Robert H. Lewis and the late Mrs. Rosabelle Underwood Lewis. A product of the Miami school system, Dr. Gilyard attended Dunbar Elementary School and Booker T. Washington Junior Senior High School where she graduated with honors in 1957. Geraline (Geri) Gilyard grew up in Ebenezer United Methodist Church. She was christened by the late Reverend W.O. Bartley and when she became older, read the church announcements and typed and printed the bulletins. After graduating from Booker T. Washington in 1957, she attended Bethune Cookman College (now University) where she completed her Bachelor's degree in Business Education and pledged the Gamma Tau undergraduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Geraline also sang in the summer with the Bethune Cookman College chorus. She was joined in marriage to fellow Cookmanite Isadore Henry Gilyard by her pastor the late Reverend Dr. Aaron D. Hall, Sr., and they attended Florida Atlantic University where she received her master's degree in Guidance and Counseling.

Geraline received her first doctorate of Education from the University of Palm Beach, and another doctorate in Administration and Supervision from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in 1975. She not only graduated with honors but she was the ONLY African American female in her graduating class!!! Her dissertation entitled, "Coping Behavior, Self-Concept and Academic Achievement of Black High School Females," sits in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. While attending the University of Miami, Dr. Gilyard was one of the Assistant Directors of the Florida School Desegregation Center under the late Dr. Gordon Foster, a national expert witness for school desegregation, attended the National Training Lab in Bethel, Maine and the Boston University's Human Relations Lab. Before working in Dade County, Dr. Gilyard worked in Madison County, Florida for two years. Afterwards, she began her teaching career at Douglass Elementary, then going on to Ojus Elementary School. She also worked as a guidance counselor at North Dade Junior High School. Dr. Gilyard was appointed by the first Black Superintendent the late Dr. Johnny L. Jones to work as Director of Administrative Staffing hiring all administrators. She later became Director of Personnel. Dr. Gilyard retired from Dade County Public Schools in 1995 after 35 years of service. Her retirement was read by former Congresswoman and her former instructor at Bethune Cookman Carrie Meek during a congressional meeting. During her retirement, she worked as an adjunct professor at the Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University and monitored teacher interns, who aspired to becoming teachers enrolled in the Nova Graduate Teacher Education Program.

Dr. Gilyard was active in the Miami community. She is one of the founding members of the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., past president (3 years) of Gamma Zeta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she also served as the chairperson of the Ebony Fashion Fair Committee for three years, and is one of the founders of the Southeast Chapter of the Negro Business and Professional Women's Club. For seven years, she was the lay leader under the Reverend Alphonso T. Delaney, and for more than once she was the General Chairperson of Women's Day. She also initiated the first fair on the grounds of Ebenezer to raise money for Women's Day. Other accolades include President of the Administrative Board, President of United Methodist Women, President of the Council on Ministries and delegate to the Florida Conference conventions. She was also a member of the Bishop's nominating committee and a member of the District Superintendent's Advisory Council of the Miami District of the United Methodist Church. Finally, she was the first coordinator of a conference/session for the United Methodist Women held her at Ebenezer, and served on the Wesley Foundation at the University of Miami. She also is a member of the Voices of Praise at Ebenezer.

Under the appointment of two former Dania Beach commissioners, C.K. "Mac" McElyea and Pat Flury, Dr. Gilyard served on the Airport Advisory committee and was the historian of the College Gardens Association under the presidency of Mrs. Janice Peterman.

Dr. Gilyard was also married to Bahamian restaurant owner Arlington Ingraham who preceded her in death in 2002.

Dr. Geraline Gilyard is survived by her only child, Ms. Vanessa Henelle Gilyard by fellow Cookmanite and college sweetheart Dr. Isadore Henry Gilyard, sister-in-laws Isabella Chapman from Yulee, Florida, Juanita (Willie) Moore of Cleveland, Ohio and Mae Ella Gilyard from Tallahassee, Florida, Stepson, Andre Brown (Andrea) from Fernandina Beach, FL. Along with many loving nieces and nephews and friends from the College Gardens neighborhood of Dania Beach, FL.