Richard Murphy Gibson passed to be with Jesus early April 12, 2013 at his home, surrounded by his family after his battle with cancer.
Richard was born on Jan. 3, 1929 in Mobile, Ala., to Prentiss Eugene and Laura Belle (McDonald) Gibson. In 1935, Richard started attending Riverside school in the Greenville District, Mississippi. In 1947, Rich graduated from school and from that time to 1950, he worked odd jobs such as chopping cotton, tractor driving and working on an old stern-wheel steamboat. Along with this, he worked for a brief time with Chicago Mill and Lumber Co., lastly working in a large bakery in Greenville, Miss. Rich than started his career with the Air Force in 1950.
While in the Air Force, Rich served in countries such as England, Holland, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. It was in England that he met his true love, Margaret Amy May Smith. Richard started his own family in 1952 when he married Miss Margaret Amy May Smith in a 13th-century church in Holme-next-the-Sea,cq England. Rich had would have the government red tape and appropriate paperwork at that time to deal with for the marriage to happen. One of the other questions asked that applied was his financial status, how much he was paid: At that time in 1954 he was being paid $166 per month. The children started arriving, with Richard Eugene being born in England on Jan. 3, 1955, also Rich Sr.'s birthday. Following were Patrick Michael in Louisiana, Nov. 21, 1956; David John, April 1, 1958; and Suzanne Lorrene, Jan. 23, 1960 in Colorado, who now resides in Wilkes-Barre. The last to come aboard to the family was Lisa Marie, who was born in a Dutch hospital in Veghel, Netherlands Holland.
Richard and Margaret, along with their five children, have seven grandchildren, Justin, James, Brian, Jillian, Andrea, Ashley, Jon, and one beautiful great-granddaughter, Alexandria Nichole Gibson, and great-grandson, Ethan Gibson. In 1974, Richard was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, ending his career from the Air Force as a chief master sergeant CMSGT in the 10TH ADS. Rich was not done with his career and started working in the civil service field, starting as a library clerk, work order clerk, Civil Engineering Electrical Shop, Electronic Systems Maintenance in the Audiovisual Squadron, shop foreman and retired as chief of maintenance, Audiovisual Squadron on Jan. 3, 1993 from Vandenberg AFB.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, at St Mary's Episcopal Church in Lompoc, Calif., with the Rev. Michael Cunningham presiding.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 2800 Harris Grade Road, Lompoc, CA 93436; Assisted Home Hospice, 228 W. Carrillo St., Suite A, Santa Barbara, CA 93101; or VIVA (Volunteers for Inter-Valley Animals), 133 N. D St., Lompoc, CA 93436.
Published in Times Leader on April 14, 2013