Thomas Gibbons

Gibbons, Thomas Joseph age 85 a 49-year resident of Naperville, Illinois, at rest Thursday, December 16, 2010 at home surrounded by family, following an eight-year battle with prostate cancer. Born August 19, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the late James and Mary (Lyons) Gibbons. Beloved husband of Patricia for 54 years, loving father of Mark Gibbons, Thomas (Janet) Gibbons and Ann Gibbons, cherished grandfather of Sarah Gibbons. Dear brother of James (the late Gertrude), the late Mary Gibbons, the late Rita (Edward) Cassidy, the late Catherine (Vincent) DiCarlo, the late John (Joan) Gibbons and fond uncle of many nieces and nephews. He attended St. Rita Grammar School and graduated from Leo High School in Chicago in 1943, then attended the Michigan College of Mining and Technology as part of the Army Special Training Program. From 1944 to 1946, he served in the U. S. Army's 100th Infantry Division and was a sergeant and squad leader in combat in France and Germany in World War II. After graduating from Chicago Teachers College with a B. Ed. in 1950, he taught mathematics at Gage Park High School in Chicago and earned a M. A. in mathematics from Loyola University in 1952. He then joined IBM where he worked for 39 years from 1952 to 1991 as a systems engineer. He married Patricia Holliday at St. Kilian Church in Chicago on January 26, 1957, and moved his family to Naperville in 1961. He was a long-time member of SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church and was a volunteer at DuPage PADS. He appreciated the compassionate care provided to him by Kellogg Cancer Center in Glenview and Westbury Care Center in Lisle. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Loaves & Fishes, 556 W. Fifth Avenue, Naperville, IL, 60563 or SS. Peter & Paul Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 21, 2010, at 11:00 A.M. at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville, with interment to follow at SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Naperville. Visitation Monday, December 20, 2010, from 4:00 8:00 P.M. at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville, IL 60540 Info: (630) 355-0213 or www.friedrich-jones.com