Vernon Obituary: Donald Gibson, 99

Donald Ellis Gibson, 99, of Vernon, died peacefully on Sunday, February 21 with his loving family at his side.

Dad was born on May 26, 1916 in Groton, New York, the only child of Albert Benjamin Gibson and Lottie Davenport. Both of his parents died before he graduated from Groton High School in the class of 1934. This past summer, he attended his 81st high school reunion! In 1941, he met Lefa Dawn Wimer of Cortland, NY, on a blind date, and 7 months later, on July 3, 1942, they married. They were married for nearly 60 years, until her death in 2002.

His first employment was with Smith Corona typewriters, after which he was employed by Therm, Inc. in Ithaca, NY as a toolmaker/machinist and in a variety of management positions until his retirement in 1981. In 1944, Dad was raised in the Masonic Fidelity Lodge, No. 51 F&AM to the Third Degree served as Master in 1952, and later became a Knight Templar. His main focus, however, was the Blue Lodge, where he served as the Master of the Third Degree team from 1950 until 1981. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Masonic Temple Corporation. Two years ago, he was awarded his 70-year apron by the Masons.

Dad became a member of the Binghamton (NY) Chapter of the American Society of Tool Engineers (ASTE), where he immediately became a member of the Standards Committee. He served on the National Finance Committee at the time of the groundbreaking of the present headquarters in Dearborn, MI. During these same times, he served as a Deacon, Trustee, Elder, and Minister Search Committee member of the First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY.

In 1974, Dad and Mom became interested in the work of the Radio Missionary Fellowship and visited its operation in Ecuador in January, 1975. Note: At one time in the 1940s, the headquarters of the Fellowship was in the big white house just back of the Talcottville Congregational Church in Vernon. Later, Dad became involved in the local chapter of the American Red Cross and became a Certified Instructor for CPR as well as First Aid and Personal Safety.

In 1981, Mom and Dad retired and moved to Franklin, NC. In 1996, they moved to Vernon and joined the Union Congregational Church of Rockville. where they both served as Deacons. Dad also served as Vice-President and a Board Member of the Hampshire Court Homeowners Association. Dad was interested in learning new things his entire life. Over the years, in addition to his extensive public service, he enjoyed a wide variety of activities and hobbies including: photography, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, boating, gardening, woodworking and carpentry, reading, finger printing, Morse code, CB radio, ham radio, tennis, bowling, archery, pistol target shooting, knitting, sewing, pool, American Sign Language, travel, ballroom and square dancing, ice skating, playing the drums, card playing (especially canasta and pinochle), personal computing, technology, watching UConn Women’s Basketball and the New York Yankees, and meeting and talking with people. Every summer since 1932, Dad and Mom spent lots of quality time with family and friends at Camp-of-the-Woods and at their own retreat in Speculator, NY.

He is survived by his daughter, Nancy Wargo and her husband, Joseph, of Ellington, CT; his son, Thomas, and his wife Christine Heavner, of Essex Junction, VT; his granddaughter, Kee Gibson and her boyfriend, James Honaker, of Sherman Oaks, CA; his granddaughter Sarah Gibson and her boyfriend Kevin Emden, of Chicago, IL, his brother-in-law, Bill Schnetzler of Pittsboro, NC; and by numerous second-cousins, nieces and nephews.

Dad had a full and productive life. He was a respected member of the communities in which he lived, and a loving and loyal husband, brother-in-law, father, father-in-law and grandfather. He made friends wherever he went , making it his job to befriend everyone in the room before he left. He had the uncanny knack of finding common ground with virtually everyone with whom he spoke. Dad truly loved people.

His family would especially like to thank the wonderfully skilled and compassionate staff at Rockville General Hospital and at Woodlake at Tolland Health Center and all of his good and supportive neighbors at Hampshire Court in Vernon.

A memorial service will be held at Union Congregational Church in Rockville on Monday, February 29 at 11 AM. Interment will be scheduled in the spring at Willow Glen Cemetery in Dryden, NY.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Union Congregational Church, 3 Elm St, Vernon/Rockville, CT 06066 or to Fidelity Lodge #51, F&AM, 412 W. Buffalo St., Ithaca, NY 14850.

See more at www.carmonfuneralhome.com.