William Lynn "Bill" Gibbs

Born: May 22, 1941; in Bloomington, Ill.
Died: April 25, 2011; in St. Charles

ST. CHARLES – William "Bill" Lynn Gibbs, 69, passed away peacefully at home in St. Charles on Monday, April 25, 2011, with family members by his side. For 11 years he had courageously fought a battle against prostate cancer, ultimately losing his life to the disease.

He was born May 22, 1941, in Bloomington, Ill., to Lynn and Carol (Mundhenke) Gibbs. Bill's parents were superb athletes and lifelong educators and they instilled in him an appreciation of both academics and athletics.

He grew up in Rantoul, Ill., where he was a member of the National Honor Society and also participated in basketball, track, football and baseball, lettering in each sport. In 1959, during Bill's senior year at Rantoul High School, his basketball team won 32 straight games before they were defeated by West Aurora in the state tournament. Bill was selected as an all-state basketball player at season's end.

Bill attended Northwestern University in Evanston on a basketball scholarship and was selected as team captain his senior year. He graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Bill then taught and coached at Rich East High School for one year and at Wheaton Central for three years. In 1967, he earned a Masters in Education degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

That same year he and his family moved to Watseka, Ill., where he took on the role of guidance counselor and basketball coach at the local high school. He always stressed to his students the importance of academics and educating themselves beyond high school. In 1977, he was honored to be selected into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a player. He also received honors in the field of education, among them being selected to Governor Thompson's Illinois Education Council and being appointed to the committee that chose the first class to attend the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora.

In 1988, Bill took a position as Dean of Students at Streamwood High School in the Elgin school district and in 1990 became the Dean of Students at Wheaton North High School. A new phase in Bill's life began in June, 1994, as he retired from full-time education; however, he continued to work part-time in the education field until the time of his passing. For the past 14 years he enjoyed working as the Career Placement Coordinator at the Fox Valley Career Center. Altogether, he spent a total of 48 years helping students prepare for their futures, a proud achievement.

Bill met his future wife when he was a junior in college. He was introduced to his sister's roommate at the University of Illinois, Karen Rife. They were married on July 11, 1964, in Chicago. During their 46-year marriage they raised two sons, David and Douglas, and were thrilled when each son and his wife added a grandchild to their lives, Ryan and Sophia. Bill loved being a "Papa" to them.

During Bill's years of semi-retirement, he and Karen enjoyed traveling to many scenic areas of our country. He was an active member of Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles, where he served on various committees and ushered regularly. He always loved basketball and several times served as a host for the Big Ten Tournament held at the United Center in Chicago.

Bill will be remembered by his family and many friends for his outgoing personality, his wonderful sense of humor and his willingness to help others. He was a caring husband and father and a good role model for his two sons. He will be greatly missed.

The family wishes to thank the many dedicated doctors and nurses who were there to assist Bill during his long battle with cancer. A special thanks to Sarah, the caring and compassionate hospice nurse who was so helpful during Bill's final months. In addition, all the cards, visits, phone calls and encouragement from friends and family and church members and clergy were greatly appreciated.

Bill is survived by his wife, Karen; his two sons, David (Karen Saddler) Gibbs of Edmonds, Wash., and their daughter, Sophia, and Douglas (Natalie) Gibbs of Aurora and their son, Ryan; his brother, Richard Gibbs of Rantoul, Ill.; his sister, Janice (Phil) Keeley of Gridley, Ill.; and two nieces and a nephew.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lynn and Carol Gibbs.

A memorial visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 27, at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, at the church. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174; the American Cancer Society, 143 First St., Batavia, IL 60510; or to the Mayo Clinic for novel immunotherapy treatments for prostate cancer at Mayo Clinic Department of Development, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

For additional information, contact the Moss-Norris Funeral Home in St. Charles at 630-584-2000 or www.mossfuneral.com.