Obituary of Gloria Joan Lane

Obituary of Gloria Joan Velez Griffiths Lane She lived a Glorious Life. She has gone to Glory. Her name was Gloria. Mrs. Gloria Joan Velez Griffiths Lane, a Bermuda native and distinguished resident of Baltimore City, Maryland, matriarch of her family, renowned educator and dedicated community servant, gracefully ascended to her place with the Lord on September 5, 2019, supported by her loving family. Gloria was born on July 20, 1933 in St. Georges, Bermuda. She was the daughter of the late Laura Evangeline Esdaille DeSilva and Edward Thomas. Family and friends called her "Joan". When she starting applying for college, Joan discovered that her birth name was Gloria Joan Velez Griffiths. Her late Great Aunt Ada Esdaille made sure that young Joan was prepared well for school. She loved to read, learn and teach. The future school teacher would read books with a flashlight long under her bedcovers long after her Aunt Ada had tucked her in for the evening. Her favorite academic subjects were History and English. She excelled as a Berkeley Institute student and athlete. Joan was a member of the Track Team and Debate Club. Joan's classmates voted her as "Best Speaker", a skill that she passed on to her daughters Alison and Rhonda. Her cousin, Dorothy Esdaille, mentored her as a member of the Salvation Army. Joan was an enthusiastic member of the Girl Guides, the Bermuda equivalent of the Girl Scouts. She was a licensed Life Guard which she passed on her to her son, Edwin. The Bermuda Government awarded her a scholarship to attend Hamilton Teachers College and the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Joan was Secretary of the Red Cross Club and participated fully in many extracurricular activities. Her keen sense of fashion and style beamed as she participated in fashion shows and formal events. She received her Teaching Certificate from Hamliton Teachers College in 1954 and returned to Bermuda to teach the third grade. One day when she was walking home from church, she met the love of her life, United States Airman James Ellwood Lane while he was stationed at the former Kinley Field in St. David's Island, Bermuda. They were joined together in Holy Matrimony on December 18, 1958, at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hamilton, Bermuda. The fruit of their union was blessed with three beautiful children, Alison, Edwin and Rhonda. Gloria was a skilled seamstress who made wardrobe for her family members and attire for her customers. She was a trained pianist who completed studies at the Peabody Institute. In 1960, she joined Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland under the pastorage of the future Bishop Harrison J. Bryant. During her Bethel years, she was a Member of the Choral Choir, Director/ Pianist of the Angel Choir (Bethel's Children's Choir) and Member of the Nursery Staff. Ably, she used her pianist skills at church and for impromptu occasions when a musician was needed immediately. She passed her piano skills onto her daughter Rhonda and her vocal skills to her daughter Alison and son Edwin. In the late 1960s, she worked as a Director of the Whatcoat Street Early Childhood Education Center and Teacher's Aide at the Westside Elementary School, her children also attended the school. As a full time Teacher's Aide, she completed her returned her undergraduate studies at Coppin State College and received her B.A. in Elementary Education in 1976. Gloria balanced her family, work and church responsibilities with joy and success. One of her college research papers was entitled "In the Defense of the Working Mother". Her daughter Alison often attended her Mom's' college classes and made her own verbal contributions to the academic discussions. Gloria accepted a position with the Baltimore City Public School system as an elementary school teacher. She was very proud of her Kindergarten students. Gloria served as a Consulting Teacher, School Improvement Team Member and Hospitality CommitteeChairperson. Her co-workers loved her Bermuda codfish cakes. Gloria was a dedicated member of her community and she served as Block Captain for the New Auchentoroly Terrace Association. For years, she oversaw a community garden located across from her house and served on the Holiday Party Committee. Again, her Bermuda codfish cakes were famous. State and local government officials saluted her with Resolutions and Citations for her service. She and her husband were community icons known for their smooth dance moves and were the highlight at social gatherings. They both marched as fashion models and enjoyed fun times at the Epsilon Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Ivy Center Senior Eating Program. Gloria was very proud of her husband, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, goddaughters and former students. She was a woman of strong faith who introduced her children to the wonders of education, travel and tradition. Gloria and her husband drove up and down the Mid-Atlantic corridor transporting and supporting their children during their college and professional school years. Their lives enjoyed the benefit of her vision, energy and dedication. To know Gloria, was to love her. Her loved ones are left to cherish her memory: her devoted husband of 60 years, James Ellwood Lane, daughter Alison Velez Lane, son Edwin James Lane and daughter Rhonda Denise Lane, her son Edwin James Lane, her granddaughter, Arielle Imani Moody and grandson Ellwood James Lane, her goddaughters, Pamela Daniels Greyson (Bermuda) and Vallee Stevens (Bermuda); special friends, Ann McNeil, Shirley Shelton and Brenda Simmons and a host of family, friends, former co-workers, church members, neighbors and former students .She was predeceased by her siblings, sisters Ada Griffiths, Margaret DeShields and Anne Manigault; brothers Donald DeSilva and Edward DeSilva. Viewing hours will be Thursday, September 19th from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Services, 5151 Baltimore National Pike, Baltimore, MD. On Friday, September 20, 2019, Services for, Mrs. Lane will be held 10:00 am at Bethel AME Church, 1300 Druid Hill Ave, Baltimore , MD with the family hour beginning at 9:30am. The interment will take place at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, Owings Mills, MD on Friday, September 20th @1:00pm following services.