Service

Monday, February 16, 2026

Family Visitation: 10:00 A.M.

Funeral Service: 12:00 Noon

Held at

LaVergne Church of Christ

244 Old Nashville Hwy

LaVergne, Tennessee

Interment

Mapleview Cemetery

Smyrna, Tennessee

Mavila Ines (Vera) Gilbert, a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at her home on February 7, 2026. She was born on January 28, 1945, in Lima, Peru, to the late Simón and Sara Vera.

Mavila moved to the United States in 1968 at the age of 23 and was a resident of Rutherford County for almost 50 years. She learned to speak English, worked multiple jobs, often holding more than one at a time, and raised her children. Her longest tenure was at Aladdin where she worked there for 24 years. She became a naturalized US citizen on January 28, 1991. In her mid-30s she was added to the body of Christ and spent the last years of her life attending the LaVergne Church of Christ.

Affectionately known as "Nanny," Mavila loved with her whole heart. She was a generous giver. She cherished her visits to family in Peru and loved returning home to share those experiences with her family in the US. Mavila was very protective of all her children and grandchildren. She never met a stranger and loved being the center of attention. Her competitive spirit was always apparent during family game nights, where she enjoyed games like Phase 10 and Rummikub. Some of the family's best memories of her were the very high-spirited games including Mavila and her sister Luisa. In her downtime, Mavila also enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, word searches, and watching ducks at the lake.

Mavila was preceded in death by her sisters, Elsa (Vera) Lamadrid and Zoila Rosa (Vera) Gamonal; her brother, Juan (Uva) Wenceslao Vera; and her grandson, Matthew Arlie Phillps.

She leaves to mourn her passing two sons: Miguel Gamonal (Consuela) of Murfreesboro, TN, and Luis Vera (Mikia) of LaVergne, TN; and three daughters: Ethel Byrd (Barry) of Smyrna, TN, Kathy Ferrell (Roger) of Donelson, TN, and Judy Oldham (Billy) of Morrison, TN. She is also survived by her sisters Isabella Ormaeche and Luisa Matta. Mavila is also survived by 15 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.