Dear Beth,

We just learned of Don's passing. We are so sorry. Don could certainly light up a room with his smile. We will include him and your family in our prayers. 

Jojo and Martin Shorter

"To The Bruce Gibson Family........all of you, I was sorry to hear of Don's passing.  I send my sympathy and love to each of you at this time.   You certainly have a lovely family and so much to be thankful for..   Take good care of yourselves"      Diane Ramsay, Sierra Vista, Arizona

To Beth, Mr. Gibson (Bruce) and the Gibson Family,

I was sorry to hear of Don's Passing.  I have fond memories of our High School days.  It was so great to see Don and Beth at the School Reunions and hearing about their adventures. Your faith, inner strengh and the power of God's love will carry you through this time of grief.

With Deepest Sympathy,
Pat (Behr) Morriss

To The Gibson Family,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.

Laurie Diaz and Family
FT Huachuca, AZ

Estimado Brian, Que Dios te conceda la fortaleza necesaria para enfrentar tan lamentable perdida.
Que Dios lo tenga en su Gloria,
Descanse en Paz,
Te envio un fuerte abrazo,
Gerardo Marcos

Dear Gibsons, one and all, including Bruce:  My dad was Melvin D. Rogers - first cousin to Bruce - making Donny & I second cousins - descendants of a wonderful Flake family heritage.  I only knew him while we were young and they lived in St. David and our family in Mesa and Tucson.  He seems like he lived up to every good quality one would want in life - and especially in the hereafter.  I look forward to meeting him again beyond the veil.
LaVonne Markham

Dear Beth,
                We are so sorry for your loss.  Don and Marlene were our next door neighbors for many years.  Wonderful people.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your entire family.  Mike & Janet Fraser

Beth, We were shocked and saddened when we heard that Don had passed away so suddenly.  Please accept our deepest sympathy and love.  Don was the coolest ever with that big smile and friendly demeanor.  We met you and Don at the U of A in 1966 and then your paths crossed again years later when you found each other and we renewed our acquaintance with you both. What a beautiful couple for these past 17 years!! Your friends, Terry and Lana Tucker and Annette Tucker.

Dear Beth, and all the Gibson and Haynie Ohana,

Please accept our hohonu aloha menemene (deepest sympathies) at this time.  Don was one of the greatest and kindest persons we have ever known.  We will all miss him very much, and we are all better people for having had him touch our lives.

Our prayers and aloha are with you all.

Dear Beth, Steve, Brian, Erika, and Jenny--I'm so very sorry that you lost Don prematurely.  It has made me so very sad to think of his untimely departure to the next life.  I treasure all of the many memories of Don and the Gibson family while we were neighbors together in Taylorsville.  For a time Don and I rode to work at the Church Office Building together.  I treasure those moments and his friendship.  Others have expressed it well.  He was so kind, so gentle, so loving, so able to make everyone feel important.  May God bless us all as we go through the mourning process for our beloved Don.  Sincerely,  W. Alan Pinborough

The RAIDRS team will miss Don.  He was a true gentleman and leader.  The DoD will miss him.

RAIDRS Team (Toby Deaton & Capt Prasad)

Don, such a great man.  I'll never forgot the service and ultimate kindness he showed a neighbor friend through her battle with leukemia.  We're saddened and our hearts go out to the Gibson family, you are in our prayers.

Don was one of the finest men it has ever been my pleasure to know.  We served together on the fire department, and I always enjoyed the time spent talking to him at the station.  It didn't matter what was going on, Don always had a smile on his face.  He could out do just about everybody on the department, even though he was old enough to be their father, and many their grandfather.  He was an amazing man, and leaves a set of shoes that will be hard to fill.  He will be missed.

Don was great to work with. He was only part of the JMS family for 6 or 7 months but brought a lot to the team. He will be greatly missed.
My deepest sympathies to his family.

Our prayers are with you, I loved visiting with him.  He is always so positive and happy and made me feel important.  We will miss him until we meet again.  Love Ruthie

I always enjoyed working with Don when he would come into the Scout office. He was so upbeat and kind. He will be missed.

I was shocked to hear of Don's untimely passing.  Don had a smile that will never be forgotten, but will be missed.  My deepest sympathy and condolences to Don's family.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Don was a wonderful friend who was and always will be an inspiration.  He achieved an envious balance between the work and the fun in his life, and his devotion to his family was always central.  We worked together for a few years during the time when Jack Bauer (Donald Sutherland) was his idol.  When the going got rough, Don relished the role of the tough guy, staring down fear and uncertainty until they cried.  And he balanced that courage with extraordinary kindness and compassion.  Beth, my heart is broken in sympathy.  Condolences to all the family and friends he cherished.

I was so lucky to meet Don in 2009 at Woodbadge, and I remember thinking he was one of those special, crème of the crop, sort of people.  So talented, intelligent and so giving and kind to others. So sad to hear of his early passing. We are blessed to have known him.

Don was a good man and had a heart of gold.  My condolences to the family and everyone else who ever had their lives were touched by him.

So very sorry to hear of Don's passing.  I remember him as a great neighbor back when I grew up in Taylorsville.  My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

My condolences to the family.  Don was a fellow Church member, a fellow firefighter, and a friend.  I had the greatest admiration for him and his always positive attitude.

Don, hearing about your untimely death was a real blow. It is hard to believe we will not work again together on a Scouting activity or otherwise. You are one of the kindness, most gracious people I have ever met. Your smile was infectious, the world is sadder place without you. Rest in peace, my good friend.

my goodness. i am so sorry. i think i said hello to him abt. a month ago. bishop gibson always had a good laugh and a funny sense of humor. he shall be missed for his kindness and gentleness. my condolences to his family and my joy to know he is with Jesus. kindly sr kathy m. lawler

My deepest sympathy and condolences to Don's entire extended family and all of his many friends.  I knew Don through his participation in BSA Wood Badge courses, first as a participant and then as an instructor multiple times for the Tucson area WB courses, as recently as 2011.  As many of you know his sunny disposition was always as apparent as his room-filling, bright smile.  Don was always loving to all, and willing to do anything to help another.  It was an honor and a privilege to serve with him on several WB courses.  There is an emptiness where I used to look forward to meeting with him again in this life.

We have lost a dear friend, who modeled how one should live the Scout oath and law, as well as a well-principled, yet compassionate life.

May God bless and comfort all who loved Don, and are grieving for his abrupt departure.

Yours in service,

I have such wonderful memories of Don and his family when they lived in Taylorsville. He was a great man and raised a great family. I loved Don's smile and laugh. I loved his firmness in the faith. May you be blessed with peace and comfort at this difficult time.

Don, I sit here in my office thinking back on all the great daily conversations we had during lunch with Dan.  And then we would top it off with some ice cream at least twice a week.  We also shared a lot of miles under our feet while training for the marathons.  I appreciated your counsel and understanding.  You once told me that "man should not be alone".  I took that to heart and married because it was the right thing to do.  You have impacted my life greatly.  I will miss you but I know God needed to bring you home.  I will never forget you.  But you already know this.

Don was one of my favorite boy cousins. (along with Geff). I think all the girl cousins had crushes on the Gibson boys. I loved his smile, loved his corny jokes, loved him. 

Ann Robinson Rohrer

I have worked with Don over the past eight years.  I am glad be able to call him my friend. He always has a kind word and was soft spoken. He will be missed by all who had the privilege to work with him. Words can not express how sorry I am for the loss of such a good soul.

So sad. I don't believe I've ever known another human who exemplifies my perception of perfection more than Don. I'm grateful to have known him. So sorry for those closest to him.

Brother Gibson, you are one of the most amazing people I have had the privilege to get to know. Your countenance is the true Light of Jesus Christ. We will miss your smiling face and the love that you showed our family. I am sure you are already busy serving others where you are. Until we meet again, love the Hardingers

I was going to keep this private with his children.

But, I miss this man.

A Son-in-Law's View of Don Gibson


How do you explain your experience with Don in a way that is both personal and relatable… In a manner that honors him in the perfect way, because you feel he deserves the perfect way of being portrayed?

I guess I'll just accept that I can't do it. I'll accept failure. I ask your forgiveness for this small indulgence where I just want to pass along one small connection to this extraordinary man. To me he was the delightful culmination of what a man wants to be. Family. Life. Adventure. Career. Duress. Struggle. Purpose.

Man, I'm going to miss that man.

Don Gibson is a good man. I struggle with using the past tense when talking about Don. I wish to refuse to speak in the past tense about Don, because not only am I still in shock at the abruptness of his departure from this life, but because I can't believe I don't get to spend more time with this good… No. I'm sorry, he was best of men. He was the best that Man could offer. That was Don.

Don came to know me through difficult times. I cannot go into detail because that's self-indulgence. All I can tell you is he came to know me through circumstances most would immediately disown someone like myself, but he welcomed me into his life with open arms, and an endless heart. That's it. That's the truth.

You see, I lost my mother years ago abruptly. I lost my father, too… Not to death, but to the duress of life, and eventually to the cruel realities of dementia. Don adopted me as his son. I know you don't know that. But, in one of those rare, and very precious moments, he leaned forward to me, in my own home, and stated that he wanted me as one of his own sons.

Dan. Steve. Brian. Erika. Jenny.

You have no idea what that meant to me.

But, I want you to know Don was always welcome to my home. He could come by any time. Any time. I do not give that to anyone. Don had free access to my home, to me, to my life. You know why? Because he was a good man. I never sensed any desire other than wanting to build a relationship, share common ground, and just wanting to be a part of my reality. 

I could only wish this man was my father. In the very short time I knew Don, I loved him. I mourn him as if my own parent died. I think I'll mourn him for the rest of my life. I feel his loss very deeply…

Don. Here's to the many adventures you had. I know of them. Thank you. And here's to the many adventures we should have had. We all are poorer for the time lost without you. Man… We are missing out, brother. 

I'll see you on the other side.

Good bye, friend.


Respectfully,

Lance Hemmert

OBITUARY

Donald R. Gibson

November 19, 1948 – July 10, 2013

Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park & Funeral Care

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