Charlotte Ann Gibson died March 28, 2023 at The Village at Mission, Prairie Village, Kansas, at age 97. She was born September 20, 1925, the only child of Gunnard Arvid and Charlotte (Lincoln) Johnson. She was a lifelong area resident having lived in Westwood Hills, Kansas; Mission Hills, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. She attended Bryant Elementary School and the Barstow School in Kansas City and maintained lifelong friendships with many of her classmates from as early as kindergarten. She met regularly for over 75 years with “The Girls of ’42,” a group of friends from her high school graduating class. She also attended the University of Arizona and Kansas City University.
She was a lifelong member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Kansas City, Missouri where she was active in many organizations and served on the vestry and as a trustee of the Day School. She was a member of the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri and was a docent at the Nelson Art Gallery. She was a past member of the Rockhill Club and the Carriage Club. She was a trustee of the Pembroke-Country Day School and for many years worked at the school’s annual Clothesline Sale, of which she was the chairman in 1969. Before moving to Bishop Spencer Place she lived for many years at the Walnuts Apartment where she served as a member of the homeowner’s association board.
On August 26, 1944 at St. Paul’s Church Charlotte married David Marsh Gibson, who at the time was an army private attending the University of Kansas medical school. Because of World War II the groom and all the groomsmen wore military uniforms for the ceremony. In 2004 Charlotte and David hosted a wedding anniversary party at the Carriage Club in the same room where their wedding reception had been held 60 years before (at that time it was the Mission Hills Country Club clubhouse).
The Gibsons had four children and Charlotte served as room mother, brownie leader, den mother, etc., and she happily welcomed gatherings of neighborhood children and other friends into the family homes on Central Street and Sunset Drive. There were also numerous cats and dogs through the years, including several litters of kittens and puppies, as well as assorted other pets including turtles, rabbits, fish, and, briefly, a pig.
One of her great interests was genealogy and she embraced the traditions of both her New England (by way of Minnesota) ancestry on her mother’s side and her father’s Swedish heritage. She was quite an accomplished knitter and took pleasure in producing holiday and graduation sweaters for her grandchildren, as well as numerous sweaters, scarfs etc. for various charities.
Charlotte and David travelled extensively, especially following his retirement from St. Luke’s Hospital in 1985, with many trips emphasizing their shared interests in history and archeology. They were especially interested in archaeology of the American Southwest and spent much of the year in Santa Fe, New Mexico in a house overlooking the ruins of an ancient pueblo. They were actively involved with the School of American Research in Santa Fe and also with the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado, with whom they went on many field trips and digs.
Dr. David Gibson died January 13, 2006. Charlotte was also predeceased by her youngest son, Duncan Gibson, December 20, 2007 and by her dear companion, Cliff C. Jones, March 6 2014.
She is survived by:
Her son, David Gibson (Lorelei) of Mission Hills, Kansas; grandson Dave Gibson (Alison Bailey) of Kansas City, Missouri, great granddaughter Zoey Loflin (J.J.) and great great granddaughter Isla Loflin of Dumas, Texas; granddaughter Ashley Gibson of Denver, Colorado; grandson Tim Sifers (Allie) and great grandsons Jackson and Connor Sifers of Fairway, Kansas; and granddaughter Susan Sifers (Alex Tiro), great grandson Colm Tiro, and great granddaughter Lily Tiro of Mission Woods, Kansas.
Her daughter, Cindy Gibson of Prairie Village, Kansas; grandson Christopher Mullis (Christine Boutros) and great grandson Thelonious Mullis of Honolulu, Hawaii; and grandson Jeremy Mullis (Sarah Bishop) of Lawrence, Kansas.
Her son, Daniel Gibson of Prairie Village, Kansas; grandson Danny Gibson (Aly), great granddaughter Emmy Gibson, and great grandson Theodore Gibson of Matthews, North Carolina; and grandson Jonathan Gibson (Gail) of Portland, Oregon.
The family would like to thank the staff at Bishop Spencer Place and The Village at Mission for their kind, considerate, and compassionate care through Charlotte’s declining days.
A memorial service will be held Monday, April 17th at 1:00 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 40th and Main, Kansas City, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, The Barstow School, the Saint Luke’s Foundation, or a charity of your choice.
