Mary "Jill" Gaines

Our hearts are heavy as we say goodbye, but more than being sad, we are incredibly grateful that she was ours. Jill Gaines, a devoted mother, beloved grandmother, and friend to all, passed away peacefully on February 6 at the age of 68.

Jill spent her life taking care of others - her children, her husband, her grandchildren, and a multitude of others over the years. While she held various roles throughout her life, her most cherished titles were "Mama" and "Nonni." She didn't just raise a family; she built a foundation of unconditional love, home-cooked meals, and wise advice.

As a mom, she was our steady ground, our quiet strength, our biggest fan, and the person who made everything feel like it was going to be okay. She was the first person we called with good news and the first person we leaned on when things fell apart. While she was a powerhouse of a mom, she truly found her calling as a grandmother. She loved being a grandmother to her “Jilly beans,” and her grandkids delighted in her helping them break all of their parents’ rules.

Jill fed people both physically and spiritually—the ultimate combination for a family matriarch. She had the philosophy that “if you feed them, they will come.” She spent decades making sure no one ever left her presence hungry, either in their stomach or their spirit. Jill’s greatest strength was her faith. Her faith wasn't loud or flashy; it was a constant, unbreakable force. She was a true prayer warrior. If she told you she was praying for you, you could count on it. We’re pretty sure she had a direct line to heaven, and she used it every single day to cover her children, her grandkids, and even people she barely knew in prayer. Her quiet moments she spent in conversation with God were the foundation our whole family stood on. While we’re going to miss the smell of her cooking and the sound of her voice, we know she’s finally resting in the arms of the Lord she served so faithfully.

That is the legacy she leaves behind: a family that knows how to love fiercely and how to pray through the storms. We are her legacy. Every time we show kindness to a neighbor, every time we stand firm in our faith, and every time we push through a trial, we are honoring the woman she was. She spent her life pouring herself into us, and that kind of love doesn't disappear—it multiplies.

She leaves behind a family that will miss her every single day: her children, Andrea Taylor (Brandon), Angela Gaines, and John Gaines (Ashley); her cherished grandchildren, Joseph Farmer, Ella Farmer, Isabella Robertson, Jude Robertson, Jackson Gaines, Jameson Gaines, Judson Gaines, Jaison Gaines; and her sister, Tricia Campbell (Rodney).

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Alan Gaines; her parents, John Patrick “Jack” Browne and Ruth Marie O’Gara Browne; and four siblings, John Patrick “Jackie” Browne, Jr., Michael Joseph “Mikie” Browne, Gina Marie Browne, and Margaret Ruth “Maggie” Browne.

Visitation will be held at Seale Funeral Home, Denham Springs, Friday, February 13, from 9 a.m. followed by a graveside service at 11 a.m. at Denham Springs Memorial Cemetery.