Mae Alice Gilyard, 57, affectionally known as Sal, was born on May 21, 1960, in Blackshear, GA; by the hands of Carrie Harris (midwife) to Mae Artis Gilyard and Charles Wise.
Mae accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and never wavered in her faith. Her favorite song was “Trouble Don’t Last Always”.

At a young age, you could always find her in the kitchen preparing full course meals for her family and friends. She always had her heart set on going to culinary school, but at the age of 16, she gave birth to her one and only child Bryant Lee Gilyard (father Larry Surrency). She pursued her dreams of cooking and is well known in the Blackshear Community for all her many cookouts and personal catering services.

Mae Alice Gilyard departed this life May 5, 2018, in the comfort of her home in Blackshear, GA.
She is preceded in death by her father: Charles Wise, her grandparents: Mr. and Mrs. Wise (paternal), Mr. Oscar and Shirley Stephenson, Willie Gilyard(maternal), and her only grandson Bryant Lee Gilyard Jr.
She was fun and loving to all she met and will be forever remembered.
Left to cherish her memories is: her son, Bryant Lee Gilyard, her mother: Mae A. West (Jimmy); five siblings: Freddie Ward, Wanda Howard (Scott), Tammie McGauley (Ronald), Raymond Ward (Melissa), and Ancil Gilyard (Tamika); granddaughter: Octasia S. Gibson, great-granddaughter: Naveaa Wallace; Uncles: Author Hutchinson, John Timmons(Lula), Willie Raspberry (Margaret), Aunts: Ruby Ward, Delyene Gaskins (Curtis), Bernice Harris, Sandra Jones (Eugene), and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. She also became close with her Tender Care Staff, Kisha Betha, and Linda Tuttle.
The family is receiving friends at the home of her sister and brother in law, Wanda and Scott Howard, 695 Fulton St., Blackshear.

A visitation will be held Friday, May 11th from 6- 8 p.m. at the funeral home, 505 Ware Street, Blackshear. Accolades will be given from 7- 7:30 p.m.

A homegoing celebration will be held at 11 a.m Saturday, May 12th from the chapel of Rainge Memorial. Bishop A. J. Myles of Bethel Temple will deliver words of comfort.

Interment will follow in the Shiloh Cemetery, Moore St., Blackshear

The cortege will assemble at 695 Fulton St. at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, May 12th.

Final and most sacred arrangements are entrusted to the professional care of Rainge Memorial Chapel, Inc.