Joseph Edward Gibbons, 79, of Salinas, Calif., a former Baker City resident, died Aug. 1, 2007.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Philip Neri Church in Portland.
Joseph was born on June 8, 1928, at Boise to Michael and Nora Gibbons, emigrants from County Galway, Ireland. He was raised at Juntura and later attended St. Francis Academy High School at Baker City.
At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was honorably discharged in 1949. After graduating from the University of Portland in 1953, he began his lifelong career in sales, which took him and his family to Walnut Creek, Calif., where they lived for 20 years.
In 1975, Joe started his own company, J. Gibbons and Associates, which sells packaging materials to the produce industry in the Salinas Valley. In 1987, Joe and his wife, Nancy, moved to Salinas to be near the produce industry and to live in the Monterey area they loved so dearly. Joe remained an active consultant and checked in on the business daily until his death.
He was an active member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at Spreckels, Calif., and a longtime University of Portland supporter. His family said he will be remembered for his smiling Irish face, his sense of humor, endless energy and his love of life, family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Nancy Gibbons; his parents; brothers, Tom and John; a sister, Frances Rhea; and an infant son.
Survivors include his four daughters and their husbands, Carla and Mike Cullerton of Portland, Joanne and Kevin Castello and Kathleen and Mike Henry, all of Salinas, Calif., and Karen and Robert Pee of Vicksburg, Miss.; 10 grandchildren, Nick, Tim, Kelsey, Megan, Matt, Kristen, Alex, Joey, Kris and Justin; his youngest sister, Eileen La Fay, and sister-in-law, Barbara Gibbons, of Eagle, Idaho; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph’s Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 7158 Spreckels, Calif., 93962-7158 or the University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203-5798
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, August 7, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor