Gloucester, Massachusetts â John Otto "Jack" Gibson, formerly of Marblehead, Massachusetts, peacefully journeyed on on a glorious summerâs mid-afternoon on Saturday, September 4th, Labor Day Weekend, at Seacoast Nursing Home, fittingly onto his next adventure while Gloucesterâs Schooner Festival was in full billowy swing.
Jack entered this world on May 29, 1928, after a difficult birth, the only child of Otto âHootâ Gibson and wife, Grace Katherine Gerhart, of Marietta, Ohio. He was the only grandchild and darling of his grandparents, Edward Gerhart and Phoebe Bules Gerhart with whom Jack and his parents lived in town, in Marietta, during the Great Depression, until 1944, when his mother Grace bought the old family farm at Oak Grove in Marietta and went to milking cows after a magazine story career. Jack had a wonderful and loving childhood, the substance of which remained with him and sustained him for his entire long life.
He graduated Marietta High School in 1946, almost at the bottom of his class, and just having missed military service in World War II by nine months. After graduation he kept busy with his band âThe Nitehawks,â as a trumpet player and playing in West Virginia and Ohio roadside taverns and working menial jobs until he had had enough of dead-ends and his intellect and ambition coalesced.
With a keen, brilliant and intuitive mind, he enrolled at Marietta College, first in geology, then later graduating in 1952 with honors as a petroleum engineer. Jackâs grandfather Adam Poe Gibson was a wildcatter in West Virginia and Kentucky and Hoot worked for Sunoco for decades as a fleet mechanic, - the oil industry was intergenerational.
Jackâs great grandfather was George William Gibson of Altizer, Calhoun County, West Virginia, Confederate Moccasin Ranger. George is a documented descendant of Thomas Gibson/Gibbons of Upper Chippokesâ Creek, Surry Co, VA, born c. 1647, a rebel in Baconâs Rebellion and a sawyer, neighbor of Thomas Rolfe and probable brother of Jane Gibson, the Elder, Indian Woman, born in the 1640âs, also of Upper Chippokesâ Creek. The family were very early settlers of Jamestown and are connected to Pocahontasâ tribe and probably descend from First Emigrant Thomas Gibson of the Second Supply Ship to Jamestown who lived among Pocahontaâs tribe in 1608 (the Pamunkey-Mattaponi). The Gibsons were heavily Native American by the 1640âs and also have African and Portuguese and Spanish descent very, very early on, possibly from passengers of the 1619 captured Spanish ship brought into Jamestown by the English settlers.
One evening, while working as a student janitor, sweeping the chemistry lab floor at the college, Jack found a crumpled USAF ad for Officerâs Training School. Not long after college graduation he was on his way to MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts as an USAF officer candidate, earning a Masterâs in meteorology, and stationed in Morocco during the Korean War forecasting life-saving weather patterns for our military pilots. His duty period was from September 1, 1952 until September 1, 1956. He was definitely both an earth and sky individual and a renaissance man with multiple interests and talents.
While in Massachusetts during his studies, on August 21, 1953 he met Italian-American beauty Rosalie Blanche DâEramo of Revere, Massachusetts. They met on a blind date through his MIT roommate âJesseâ James Arnold of Maine and Blanche and Jack (and, pals) spent the day at Wingarsheek Beach in Gloucester, both he and Blanche smitten with each other. Jack and Blanche were married on Sunday, September 8th, 1956 in Revere, Massachusetts and remained so until Blancheâs passing on August 21, 2013, both together sixty years to the day and both dedicated to family.
Two daughters were born of the union, Joan Rosalie, August, 1960 and some years later, Jill Renee, Each daughter had a unique and special bond with Jack and seeing his true nature, adored and cherished him. The family leaned on him for his steadiness, long suffering nature, perspicacity, integrity, honesty, pure-heartedness, and homespun humor born of humble beginnings. He put aside self to provide for his family, often longing for the slower pace and modest country values of his hometown days. Regardless, he felt he had had a good life and he did.
After several years in the oil industry with Mobil, after his USAF service, last stop Venezuela, Jack, Blanche and Joan permanently settled in idyllic Marblehead, Massachusetts in December, 1964. At this time Jack generously welcomed his mother-in-law and teenaged sister-in-law into the home and supported them: they in turn enriched the family home and were much loved by all. Jack graciously and unobtrusively always made them feel welcomed. His highest nature was that of a true gentle man and noble.
After a brief period working locally as a mechanical engineer on the lunar module with RCA during the Sixtiesâ Space Race, Jack was hired by Boston City Hospital as an hospital budget administrator in the early 1970âs. He earned an MBA from Boston University during his tenure and retired from the hospital in 1989 as plant engineer facilitiesâ manager.
Upon retirement Jack enjoyed returning to his trumpet playing in local area bands. Later, he cared for his wife, Blanche, at their Marblehead home during her long illness. His daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Mike Frenette also lovingly assisted in Marblehead until Jack came to live with them in Gloucester in 2009 and Blanche was placed at Seacoast Nursing Home at this time, needing more skilled care. Gloucester was a special haven for Blanche and Jack.
Dad enjoyed his eighties and very early nineties under the diligent and untiring love and comfort of Jill and Mikeâs care, and being a dog âgrandpaâ â he always loved animals, particularly, dogs - until his need for higher skilled care was met in October, 2019 as he entered Seacoast Nursing Home.
Daughter Joan is very grateful she was recently able to document Jackâs elusive Gibson roots back to Jamestownâs founding and the Native Virginia tribes, something very important to Jack and his ancestors. And, that she and Dad were able to reconcile during the last two years of his life and had many enjoyable times together during this special time, such as Christmas, 2019, watching âThe Andy Griffith Showâ together, eating meals together and the ability to be with Jack on his 93rd birthday last May. He truly was working out his own salvation and was deeply tender, loving and pure. And , whenever Joan hears a âBy, golly!,â she will ever be reminded of Jackâs favourite expression and his kind interest for all. Remember, Dad, âthe kingdom of heaven is within you!âGloucester, Massachusetts â John Otto Gibson, aka âJack,â formerly of Marblehead, Massachusetts, peacefully journeyed on on a glorious summerâs mid-afternoon on Saturday, September 4th, Labor Day Weekend, at Seacoast Nursing Home, fittingly onto his next adventure while Gloucesterâs Schooner Festival was in full billowy swing.
Jack entered this world on May 29, 1928, after a difficult birth, the only child of Otto âHootâ Gibson and wife, Grace Katherine Gerhart, of Marietta, Ohio. He was the only grandchild and darling of his grandparents, Edward Gerhart and Phoebe Bules Gerhart with whom Jack and his parents lived in town, in Marietta, during the Great Depression, until 1944, when his mother Grace bought the old family farm at Oak Grove in Marietta and went to milking cows after a magazine story career. Jack had a wonderful and loving childhood, the substance of which remained with him and sustained him for his entire long life.
He graduated Marietta High School in 1946, almost at the bottom of his class, and just having missed military service in World War II by nine months. After graduation he kept busy with his band âThe Nitehawks,â as a trumpet player and playing in West Virginia and Ohio roadside taverns and working menial jobs until he had had enough of dead-ends and his intellect and ambition coalesced.
With a keen, brilliant and intuitive mind, he enrolled at Marietta College, first in geology, then later graduating in 1952 with honors as a petroleum engineer. Jackâs grandfather Adam Poe Gibson was a wildcatter in West Virginia and Kentucky and Hoot worked for Sunoco for decades as a fleet mechanic, - the oil industry was intergenerational.
Jackâs great grandfather was George William Gibson of Altizer, West Virginia, Confederate Moccasin Ranger. George is a documented descendant of Thomas Gibson/Gibbons of Upper Chippokesâ Creek, Surry Co, VA, born c. 1647, a rebel in Baconâs Rebellion and a sawyer, neighbor of Thomas Rolfe and probable brother of Jane Gibson, the Elder, Indian Woman, born in the 1640âs, also of Upper Chippokesâ Creek. The family were very early settlers of Jamestown and are connected to Pocahontasâ tribe and probably descend from First Emigrant Thomas Gibson of the Second Supply Ship to Jamestown who lived among Pocahontaâs tribe in 1608 (the Pamunkey-Mattaponi). The Gibsons were heavily Native American by the 1640âs and also have African and Portuguese and Spanish descent very, very early on, possibly from passengers of the 1619 captured Spanish ship brought into Jamestown by the English settlers.
One evening, while working as a student janitor, sweeping the chemistry lab floor at the college, Jack found a crumpled USAF ad for Officerâs Training School. Not long after college graduation he was on his way to MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts as an USAF officer candidate, earning a Masterâs in meteorology, and stationed in Morocco during the Korean War forecasting life-saving weather patterns for our military pilots. His duty period was from September 1, 1952 until September 1, 1956. He was definitely both an earth and sky individual and a renaissance man with multiple interests and talents.
While in Massachusetts during his studies, on August 21, 1953 he met Italian-American beauty Rosalie Blanche DâEramo of Revere, Massachusetts. They met on a blind date through his MIT roommate âJesseâ James Arnold of Maine and Blanche and Jack (and, pals) spent the day at Wingarsheek Beach in Gloucester, both he and Blanche smitten with each other. Jack and Blanche were married on Sunday, September 8th, 1956 in Revere, Massachusetts and remained so until Blancheâs passing on August 21, 2013, both together sixty years to the day and both dedicated to family.
Two daughters were born of the union, Joan Rosalie, August, 1960 and some years later, Jill Renee, Each daughter had an unique and special bond with Jack and seeing his true nature, adored and cherished him. The family leaned on him for his steadiness, longsuffering nature, perspicacity, integrity, honesty, pure-heartedness, and homespun humor born of humble beginnings. He put aside self to provide for his family, often longing for the slower pace and modest country values of his hometown days. Regardless, he felt he had had a good life and he did.
After several years in the oil industry with Mobil, after his USAF service, last stop Venezuela, Jack, Blanche and Joan permanently settled in idyllic Marblehead, Massachusetts in December, 1964. At this time Jack generously welcomed his mother-in-law and teenaged sister-in-law into the home and supported them: they in turn enriched the family home and were much loved by all. Jack graciously and unobtrusively always made them feel welcomed. His highest nature was that of a true gentle man and noble.
After a brief period working locally as a mechanical engineer on the lunar module with RCA during the Sixtiesâ Space Race, Jack was hired by Boston City Hospital as an hospital budget administrator in the early 1970âs. He earned an MBA from Boston University during his tenure and retired from the hospital in 1989 as plant engineer facilitiesâ manager.
Upon retirement Jack enjoyed returning to his trumpet playing in local area bands. Later, he cared for his wife, Blanche, at their Marblehead home during her long illness. His daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Mike Frenette also lovingly assisted in Marblehead until Jack came to live with them in Gloucester in 2009 and Blanche was placed at Seacoast Nursing Home at this time, needing more skilled care. Gloucester was a special haven for Blanche and Jack.
Dad enjoyed his eighties and very early nineties under the diligent and untiring love and comfort of Jill and Mikeâs care, and being a dog âgrandpaâ â he always loved animals, particularly, dogs - until his need for higher skilled care was met in October, 2019 as he entered Seacoast Nursing Home.
Daughter Joan is very grateful she was recently able to document Jackâs elusive Gibson roots back to Jamestownâs founding and the Native Virginia tribes, something very important to Jack and his ancestors. And, that she and Dad were able to reconcile during the last two years of his life and had many enjoyable times together during this special time, such as Christmas, 2019, watching âThe Andy Griffith Showâ together, eating meals together and the ability to be with Jack on his 93rd birthday last May. He truly was working out his own salvation and was deeply tender, loving and pure. And , whenever Joan hears a âBy, golly!,â she will ever be reminded of Jackâs favourite expression and his kind interest for all. Remember, Dad, âthe kingdom of heaven is within you!â
The surviving family, Jill and Michael Frenette, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Joan Gibson and husband Brian Call, of Levant, Maine, wish to thank the staff at Seacoast Nursing Home for their care our father.
Jack did not want any funeral service. Please feel free to send condolences/comments to Joan Gibson at: juanagibson@juno.com
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39, King James Version of the Bible.
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