Robert Gibbons

It was the end of a period in American history known as the roaring ‘20’s when our Dad first came into the world. This was the era of prohibition, gangsters, the Jazz Age and of course the stock market crash followed by the Great Depression. Cars could be had for $248 each and a gallon of milk cost twenty-five cents. Our Dad, Robert “Bob” Gibbons was born on March 22, 1929 in Kingston, New York. He was the baby of the family, the youngest of four children. He had three siblings: Hector, his sister Lily, and his brother Ben. He lived in New York until he was three years old and then moved to Southgate, California in 1932 and lived there until he was 14 and then moved down to Corona Del Mar.

He attended Newport Harbor High School for four years and graduated in 1948. He was very buff, blonde and handsome, an all-star jock. He was very athletic and totally LOVED football. He played at Newport Harbor High School as a quarter-back and then played at Orange Coast College also as a quarter-back. During that time, his name could be seen in the local newspapers which did write-ups about his outstanding game performances. He loved being outdoors and was very athletic. He played baseball, volleyball and swam. But football was his real passion, even after an ankle injury prevented him in participating in the sport in college. He especially loved college football and his favorite team was the USC Trojans and he proudly wore their colors of cardinal and gold whenever possible. After college he enlisted into the Navy where he spent four years faithfully serving our country.

Our Dad was very outgoing, optimistic, sweet and jovial with a very fun, lively and quirky sense of humor. In college at OCC he studied for, and became an architect. He met our Mother Sylvei in 1958 who was a young Norwegian girl just visiting her sister on vacation. It was destiny for them to be together and they married shortly thereafter and had three children: Kristine, Bob and Erik. They lived in Corona Del Mar until 1964 and then moved up to Newport Beach where they lived together until 1999 when our Mother died.

Our Dad was truly a family man, who loved to spend time with us and he especially loved the holidays. He loved the “zoo” we had acquired over the years, doting on every pet we kept, from fish, to birds, cats, dogs, hamsters, rats, mice, lizards, frogs, turtles, tortoises . . . and speaking of fish… he loved to fish. He took trips down to Mexico, sipping on a Tecate beer, with his fishing pole in the water and the sun on his face, rocking to the rhythm of the waves with the boat. He was kind and loving and very supporting of us three kids and his two grandchildren (Ryan and Ava) and taught us what unconditional love was all about.

Dad was a fighter having survived many ailments over the years: diabetes, blindness, prostate cancer, lung cancer, heart disease and finally succumbing to Parkinson’s disease. He lived to be: 30,240 days or 82 years, 9 months and 5 days old. He is being interred beside our mother at the Garden of Reflections at Pacific View Memorial in Newport Beach, where our Brother Bob also rests. His remains will be laid peacefully beside a sparkling river overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He is going to be missed by so very many friends, family and our animals too, but will live in our hearts, spirits and memories forever.

A memorial service will be held at 3:00pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at The Crossing Church, 2115 Newport Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

NEVER READY TO SAY GOODBYE

We’re never ready to say good-bye

To someone we hold dear.

If it were up to us, dear Dad

We’d always keep you here.

But God has reasons of His own,

And plans we cannot know,

And these are always for our good

Though it may not seem so.

Our arms are empty and our hearts

Are filled with tears and grief,

For we who loved each day with you,

Now find those days too brief.

Yet if we could only heaven see,

We’d know you’re happy there,

And we would never call you back

When such great joy you share.

And so we’ll trust you to God’s great care

And know some day, once more,

We’ll hold you to our hearts again

When we reach heaven’s shore.

Arrangements under the direction of Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary FD1176, Corona Del Mar, CA.