George "Tom" Thomas Gibson

Born August 3, 1932 in Cambridge, Ohio to William Edison Lee and Olga Mae (Dunning) Gibson, he married Colleen Joy “Coke” Mills on August 20, 1955 in Nampa, Idaho. Coke passed away on March 8, 2013. He was also preceded in death by his parents and six siblings.

Surviving are his children, Christine (Steve) Lutke of Palm Springs, California, Anne Hocking of Pekin, Illinois, Lisa Gibson of Lowell, Indiana, Craig (Silvia) Gibson of Indianapolis, Indiana, Tom (Shirley) Gibson of Waterloo, Iowa and Brian Gibson of Lowell, Indiana; 12 grandchildren Leslie, Michael, Todd, Alex, Natalie, Ryan, Courtney, Tabitha, Malia, Kai, Hannah, Michael; five great-grandchildren, Lily, Olivia, Scarlett, Beatrice, Harper, and one sister, W. Sue Gibson of Cambridge, Ohio.

Tom was a veteran of the Korean War serving from 1951-1954 in the United States Navy where he was an Aviation Ordnanceman Third Class, AO3, aboard the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39).

He had worked in maintenance at Pekin Community High School District 303 for 17 years before retiring in 2006. He previously worked as a salesman in the area for 20-plus years.

Tom enjoyed golfing and playing in the church dartball and softball leagues, joking with everyone he ran into along the way. He also enjoyed meals with family and friends, eating breakfast and pies at Ernie’s Family Restaurant in Pekin, taking naps and long road trips to visit family that was spread from the Pacific to the Atlantic, sharing his vast knowledge of a little bit about everything.

He was a longtime member of the First United Presbyterian Church in Pekin.

His funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. David Taylor will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Military rites will be provided by the United States Navy and Tazewell Military Rites Team. Cremation will be accorded following the service. Private family inurnment will be at Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.

Memorial contributions may be given to Tazewell Animal Protective Society, 100 TAPS Lane, Pekin, Illinois 61554, where a lifetime of four legged loves were adopted from.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com