James Henry Gibbons

James Henry "Hank" Gibbons, USA Ret.
Melbourne - James Henry Gibbons, "Hank" of Melbourne, Florida, passed away on September 15, 2020. He was predeceased by his parents; Fred Hamilton Gibbons and Marion Eloise Ramsey Gibbons. He was also predeceased by his wife Nancy Hendrick Gibbons, with whom he had two daughters; Jeanne and Lisa.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jeanette Gibbons and their children; Bob Clark of Satellite Beach, Becky Clark Thomas of Rockledge, FL, his two daughters; Jeanne Gibbons of Huntsville, AL and Lisa Gibbons of Gainesville, FL and his older sister Ella Charnley of Ocala, FL, ten grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by four siblings; Hunter Gibbons, Perry Gibbons, Margaret Brannan and Caroline Clark.
Hank was born in Archer, Florida, on October 17, 1933. As the youngest of six children, he had his mind set on attending The University of Florida in Gainesville. He graduated from The University of Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He also earned a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
In the Army, he earned the rank of Colonel and spent 24 years of dedicated service to his country. He was a Trip Officer in the White House Communications Agency for the Nixon Administration. He even accompanied the President on a trip to China, which was featured in Life Magazine in 1972.
In 1980, he married Jeanette Clark and with her two children; Bob and Becky they became a blended family. It was Harris Corporation that brought him back to his home state of Florida. Hank worked hard and eventually rose to Vice President of the FAA division.
In 1998, Hank settled into retirement by spending time with his grandkids and traveling with Jeanette. Not only was he an avid golfer, but he enjoyed watching golf on T.V. He was a man of deep faith and was an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church. He was also the leader of his life group for many years.
Memorial Services will be held at Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Social distancing and other safety protocols will be in place. Burial: October 10, 2020 11:00 a.m. Wachoota Baptist Cemetery, Alachua County, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Neighbor Up Brevard, 1151 Masterson Street, Melbourne, 32935.
Donations will bless children who attend the DOCK program. You may sign Hank's guestbook at www.beckmanwilliamson.com.