Mona Marie Lombard
August 17, 1940 - April 2, 2021
Obituary
Mona Marie Lombard, born in Algiers, Louisiana, on August 17, 1940 to Louis Anthony Lombard and Lucille Douroux Lombard, died suddenly on April 2, 2021 at the Newport Villa Elderly Care home in Bellevue, Washington where she lived for the past few years under the dignified and attentive care of the owners.
Mona moved to Washington State with her family when she was three years old. She attended Holy Names Academy for twelve years and graduated in 1958. She continued her education after it was put on hold while raising her children and earned a B.A. degree in Communications from the University of Washington in her late 30s. She was manager of media for the Seattle Urban League and later became Media Director for major retail trade shows in Seattle, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. In 1984, she moved to Oakland, which was close to her sister Leonella’s family, and became the Public Information Officer for Oakland’s Office of Economic Development. Her consulting business, Lombard Communication, was established 1997 and specialized in public and media relations as well as special events for government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations in the Oakland area. In 2000, she initiated and designed Bay Area tours to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon and co-founded the Great Urban Escape to Yosemite National Park, designed to attract African American families to the part. From 1988 – 2004, she hosted her own television show “East Bay” on the Soul Beat Television Network featuring local businesses, artists, and personalities.
She was a strong patron of the arts and was passionate about supporting local small businesses. Political engagement was a focus throughout her life which resulted in her volunteering for several political campaigns. In addition, Mona was the Executive Producer for two albums on her son Clark’s record label, Ritual, Ltd.
Mona loved to travel and she took every opportunity to do so. She also loved to dance and sing. From a very early age, she appreciated the written word and wrote not only professionally, but crafted personal stories that she sent to her family. Almost anyone who knew her knows that she was thrilled to be in front of a camera.
She returned to the Seattle area in 2013 and was suffering from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. This condition added to complications from unexpected heart failure on April 2, 2021.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Chermaine (Lombard) Hayes, Lawrence Lombard, Randall Lombard, and Leonella (Lombard) Mischeaux, and one son, Craig Michael Gayton (Fatisha Enahora Gayton). She is survived by one brother, Darrell Lombard, her two remaining children, Cynthia Marie Gayton, J.D. (Jason Edwards) and Carver Clark Gayton, Jr., her two grandchildren, Gabriela Enahora Gayton and Bryce Michael Gayton, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and close friends. She is also survived by her former husband and father of her three children, Carver Clark Gayton, Sr., Ph.D. (Carmen Walker Gayton).
To Mona
A special friend with whom we shared two amazing daughters, Cynthia and Leslye.
Your warm smile and appreciation for the arts will always be remembered.
Rest in peace
JoKaatherine
I love you, aunt Mona. You will be missed.
Aunt Mona and Family, We love you so much and we thank God for you and family being in our lives! Thank you for your beautiful Lombard Family, your lovely smile, your kind heart, love, care, friendship, joyful faith and for all the fun times over the years! You are cherished Aunt Mona! Thank you! Angels all around and joyful family reunion in Heaven! “When the Saints Go marching in”! Aunt Mona you are in our hearts! We love you forever Rhonda Oden Gossett and Larry Gossett and the Oden Family and Gordon Family.
To my beautiful cousin my you rest in heaven and tell my daddy hello and miss him love you and second line for is all
My dear Aunt Mona. Thank you for being my aunt. And thank you for being present in my young adult life. We had fun living in California!
You will be missed!
My dear Mona, I miss you; Mona was in my life when we were 12 and 13. Our parents, the Lombards and the Goudeaus brought us together. From that point on we were good friends. Mona lived on Roy Street near Madison Street and we lived on Dearborn Street near Jackson Street. On some Saturdays we met halfway and went to the Madrona Theater usually seeing cowboy movies. We spent a lot of time giggling and eating. Mona loved to get hamburgers and French fries. Emily Reason, Mona and I did travel a few times together. We took a trip to Italy and Greece in 1997 ( we were there the year when Princess Diana died). I could write a book about that trip; so much fun and adventure. Another great trip was Carmel –the three of us. In our hotel there was dancing one night and we had so much fun–laughing and dancing. Mona was inspiring and loved life. She made things happen. I miss you and our memories. Love, Gloria Goudeau Mercer
Aunt Mona, thank you for being there for when I was a small child growing up and in various stages of my life. You were another mother figure at times, a concerned and loving Aunt, a mentor, and a friend. You challenged me to be better and to strive for things that perhaps I did not have the confidence to achieve. In the end I am a better man because of it.
Just know your contribution in my life is notable and that your spirit will remain with me for the rest of my days. May your beauty and love Grace the the heavens for eternity until we see each other again.
Your loving and forever grateful nephew,
David
My sincere condolences to the family. Mona and I worked together at the Seatte Urban League. She wrote the obituary for my nephew-Godson-son, Daniel Harris. She was a wonderful person and friend and will be greatly missed. Rest in Heaven!🙏🏽🙏🏽