Philip F. Gibber

Philip F. Gibber, CAPT. USN (Ret.) age 89, of Alexandria, Virginia, and husband of Erma Frances Gibber, passed away on January 5, 2021, following a short illness. Born on March 27, 1931, in Newark, New Jersey, he spent his early life in Newark, where his father Sol Gibber was a partner in a toy and stationery store, with summers spent working in the Catskills region of New York State at his mother Bessie’s Granit Sunshine hotel in Kerhonkson. His father was later associated with the Hotel Gibber in nearby Kiamesha Lake. In 1943 they moved to Florida, where he graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School. His older brother Marvin, who was in the Army Air Corps during WWII and was shot down over Europe, joined them during a recovery period in Miami. Philip attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was captain of the fencing team and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1952. Following college, he worked as a draftsman for a few months while awaiting induction into the Navy. After flight training in Pensacola, FL, and Corpus Christi, TX, he was assigned to anti-submarine squadron VS-31, based in Quonset Point, RI. While stationed there, a chance meeting with Erma Sinowitz at a Bar Mitzvah back in the Catskills led to an engagement and marriage the following year. They spent the next 63 years sharing many interests, including travel, music, and theater, as well as raising three children. Philip served as an NROTC assistant professor of Naval Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. As he put it, for the first year he was “one chapter ahead of my students.” He went on to earn a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering (propulsion) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. After graduation he was posted to anti-submarine squadron VS-22 in Quonset Point, RI, Norfolk, VA, and Key West, FL, his last tour of duty as a pilot. He then was assigned as an engine project officer in Washington, DC, working with companies including Garrett - AiResearch, Curtis Wright, and Boeing. He served twice in the Navy Plant Representative’s Office at Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford, CT, first as executive officer and later as commanding officer. In between these posts, he was the engine coordinator for the Harrier Program on the Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine used to power this early V/STOL aircraft. He also spent a year as commanding officer in the Navy’s office at General Electric in Lynn, MA. He served a second tour in London as commanding officer of the Office of Naval Research, and the Assistant Naval Attaché for Research. This diplomatic posting came with an invitation to the Queen’s garden party and the ability to park wherever he wished. His final postings, in Washington, DC, were as the director of the Production Management Division, Naval Air Systems Command, and the Joint Depot Maintenance Analysis Group. He retired from the Navy in 1982 after a 31-year career. With the U.S. Navy, Philip found his true calling and they in turn received a dedicated, patriotic officer who rose to the rank of Captain. During his career, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. After the Navy, his career continued with positions as a project officer for a system of natural gas pipeline pumping stations in Perth, Australia, and as a consultant for the Garrett-Taiwan Engine Qualification Review Team. Until his passing, and for more than 30 years, he worked first for the Navy International Program Office and then for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research on engineer and scientist exchange programs with U.S. allies. For his work on the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program collaboration, he was awarded the Silver Cross of Honor by the German Bundeswehr. In addition to his family, Philip was loved and appreciated by his many friends and co-workers. He was a passionate gardener who raised mammoth elephant ears, cultivated dozens of orchids and took his dieffenbachias along everywhere he lived. He had a lifelong love of opera and classical music, and was a subscriber to the National Symphony Orchestra for decades. He was an avid fan of crossword puzzles and, later, Sudoku. He and Erma traveled extensively (sometimes with one or more of the children in tow), including trips to Antarctica, Argentina, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Taiwan, Turkey, nearly all of the European countries, and almost every state in the United States. In addition to his wife Erma, he is survived by his daughter Jere and son-in-law J.G. Harrington, sons Eric and Joel, and sister-in-law Mickey Gibber (wife of his late brother Marvin). There will be a private online memorial service and Philip later will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Jewish Chaplain’s Fund at Fort Belvoir Checks payable to: FBCTOF Memo line: Jewish Account – in memory of Philip Gibber Mail to: Garrison Religious Support Office ATTN: Funds Office 10011 Middleton Road, Building 221 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 National Symphony Orchestra Checks payable to: National Symphony Orchestra Memo line: In memory of Philip Gibber Mail to: National Symphony Orchestra P.O. Box 101510 Arlington, VA 22210 Further information: 202.416.8041, [email protected] Green Spring Gardens Moon Gate Garden Project Checks payable to: Fairfax County Park Foundation, Inc. Memo line: GSG Moon Gate Garden – in memory of Philip Gibber Mail to: Fairfax County Park Foundation, Inc. 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 404 Fairfax, VA 22035-5508 On-line donation at: https://fairfaxparkfoundation.org/our-projects/green-spring-gardens/ Further information: 703.324.8582, [email protected]