Barbara Joan Gibson

Obituary for Barbara Joan Gibson

September 15, 1929- August 16, 2025

Barbara Joan Gibson passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday August 16, 2025, amidst the prayers of her daughter, Fabienne, her son, Rick, and her daughter-in-law, Sue. God granted her wish to die at home surrounded by love with a view of her beautiful garden and creek from her bedroom window.

Barbara was born on September 15, 1927, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Stockton, California to her parents, William and Olivia Pope. She attended Jefferson Elementary school and graduated from Stockton High School in 1947.

From a young age, Barbara knew that she had inherited a passion for sewing, a talent handed down from many previous generations of tailors and seamstresses and a talent she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter.

Barbara married her high school sweetheart, Richard J, Gibson, on August 1, 1948, at Annunciation Church in Stockton before the newlyweds moved to San Francisco where Richard attended U.S.F. law school. During their years in San Francisco, Barbara used her sewing talents to support the young couple by working as an alteration seamstress for a local department store. Having grown up during the Great Depression, they lived a frugal life. Her favorite motto was, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". Every day after work Barbara would gather up the scraps of wool left over from the shortened hems of wool coats and dresses. Over time she had enough pieces to braid them together into a beautiful woven rug that has graced their Parkwood's home for over 60 years.

After graduating law school, Richard and Barbara returned to their hometown, Stockton, with their newborn daughter, Fabienne. In 1953, their son, Richard Jr., was born as Richard's law practice started growing.

As a lifelong homemaker, Barbara was blessed with many talents which she shared with family, friends and the community. During the 1960's she was the costume coordinator for the Stockton Children's Ballet, and she designed and sewed many costumes for St. Mary's High School theater productions where her children attended school.

For over 40 years, Barbara was a volunteer and member of the St. Joseph's Hospital Auxiliary where her daughter, Fabienne, worked as a clinical laboratory scientist. Her son, Rick, passed the California State Bar in 1978 and joined his father, Richard, in the family law firm of Gibson and Gibson.

Barbara and Richard were active members of Presentation Church and numerous local social and service clubs, including most recently Liguri nel Mondo.

While Barbara was an expert seamstress, her other talents included cooking, gardening, decorating, needlepoint, bridge, wallpapering and fixing just about anything that was broken.

For Barbara, family always came first. Her home and garden became the favorite gathering place for family reunions, birthday and anniversary parties, German chicken and strudel dinners and every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinner for over four decades.

Barbara's favorite getaway place was "a little cabin in the woods" in Arnold, California that she and Richard built in 1983 with her daughter, Fabienne, and son-in-law, Scott. Five generations of family members have continued to create many happy family memories at their beautiful "home away from home" in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Over the past 49 years Barbara has been a hands-on grandma to her five grandchildren. Their love for each other continued all her life with weekly phone calls and frequent visits. Having reached the ripe old age of 95, Barbara was blessed to have been known and loved by her four great grandchildren.

Barbara leaves a lasting legacy of love, strength, forgiveness, commitment, faith and family that will endure for many generations.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Richard J. Gibson on July 8, 2012 and her son-in-law, Scott A. Johnson, on June 19, 2025.

Barbara is survived by her daughter, Fabienne Ann Johson, her son, Richard J. Gibson Jr. (Susan), her grandchildren, Scott A. Johnson II (Christina), Amanda Duclos (Jesse), Gregory R. Johnson (Zoe), Eric Gibson and Martin Gibson and her great grandchildren, Stella Johnson (8), Donivan Gibson (8), Griffin Duclos (6), and Josephine Duclos (3).

Visitation will take place on Thursday September 4th, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. at Casa Bonita Funeral Home, 2500 Cemetery Lane, Stockton, CA with a recitation of the rosary to follow at 5:30 p.m. and vigil service at 6:00 p.m.

Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 5th, 2025 at Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 6715 Leesburg Place, Stockton, CA at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to OCIA Ministry at Church of the Presentation.