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Longtime
Alaskan William J. "Bill" Gibbons, 73, died Jan. 25, 2008, at
Providence Alaska Medical Center.
A visitation and service will begin at 6 p.m. today at Evergreen Memorial
Chapel. Deacon Felix Maguire will officiate.
Bill was born April 19, 1934, in Louisville, Ky. After high school, he joined
the U.S. Air Force, where he attended Officer Candidate School and Navigation
School. Bill spent more than 28 years as a navigator in the Air Force. He was
a Vietnam veteran and earned the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service
Medal with five devices, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Air Medal, Air
Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf, and a Meritorious Service Medal.
In 1959, he married his wife, Elizabeth, and together they had five children,
Mike, Deanna, Randy, Jody and Tony.
Bill and his family moved to Alaska in 1974. He retired as a lieutenant
colonel from the Air Force and later retired from Alaska Housing Finance
Corp.
Bill loved to spend time on his boat with family fishing for silver salmon in
Resurrection Bay. He also enjoyed photography and bird watching. He volunteered
regularly for Fur Rondy.
Bill was a loving husband and father. He cared about people and was a great
friend to all who knew him. Bill will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his daughter and son-in-law, Deanna
Gibbons and Rob Price; his sons, Randy, Jody and Tony; and his three
grandchildren, Katharine, Joseph and Michele Price.
He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Michael Gibbons; and his mother,
Amelia Gibbons.
Published in the
Anchorage Daily News on 1/30/2008.
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