John Gibbons

Reverend John Ivey Gibbons, 78, of Johnsonville, S.C., was welcomed into Heaven on Thursday, July 15, 2010, after his five year battle with cancer.
He was born May 19, 1932, in Williamsburg County, a son of the late Charlie and Jessie Cook Gibbons. At 19 years of age on September 28, 1951, he married his sweetheart, Jean Johnson Gibbons.
Reverend Gibbons was employed by the Georgetown International Paper Mill from 1950 until his retirement in 1989. While employed there, he earned his GED and graduated from Georgetown-Horry Technical College. In 1956, he was licensed as a mission worker and shortly after as an ordained minister. Reverend Gibbons pastored at the following Pentecostal Holiness Churches: Spring Pond for 14 years, Oak Ridge for 9 years, Prospect for 14 years, and Bonneau for 3½ years. He retired from his pastorate in 1994, and served as Interium Pastor for the following Pentecostal Holiness Churches: Johnsonville, Hemingway, Olanta and Prospect. Brother John was a member of Friendfield Pentecostal Holiness Church, where he was currently serving as Interium Pastor.
Surviving are his wife, Jean J. Gibbons of Lake City; his children, Cathy G. Smoak and her husband, Jimmy "Smokey," of Johnsonville, Wanda S. Gibbons of Andrews, John Anthony "Tony" Gibbons of Andrews, and Rebecca Ann Swanner and her husband, Mark, of Stafford, Virginia; his grandchildren, Landy Cox and his wife, Lori, Ashley Cox and his wife, Meredith, Justin Swanner and his wife, Rachael, Bryan Swanner and his wife, Jenny, Lauren Swanner, John Kyle Gibbons and Kristen Ivy Gibbons; and four great-grandchildren; his sisters, Helen Godbolt of High Point, North Carolina, Sadie Keller and her husband, Edwin, of St. Stephens; three half-sisters; and many nieces and nephews. Reverend Gibbons was predeceased by a brother, Thomas Gibbons.
Brother John, better known as "Papa" will be especially remembered for his commitment to the Lord and to his family, especially his wife of 59 years. He always looked forward to Christmas, for this was when all his children and grands would come together for the tradition of Papa telling of the Christmas Story and how Jesus was the true reason for the season. He was a devoted husband, loving father, and playmate to his grands and his great-grands.
Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, July 18, 2010 at South Carolina Conference of The IPHC, H. P. Robinson Memorial Auditorium, 620 South Ron McNair Boulevard, Lake City, South Carolina. Burial, directed by Carolina Funeral Home, will follow in the Garden of Devotion Cemetery, Johnsonville, S.C. All pastors of the South Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Conference, and their wives, are asked to serve as honorary pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 17, 2010, at Carolina Funeral Home, 215 East Highway 378 ByPass, Scranton, South Carolina.
Memorials may be made to: McLeod Hospice House, 1203 East Cheves Street, Florence, SC 29506; or Home Missions, c/o Friendfield Pentecostal Holiness Church, 2019 S. Friendfield Road, Scranton, SC 29591.
The family would like to thank each person for their prayers and their concerns during this difficult time. We know it is but for a brief time until we are able to have that sweet reunion with our beloved Husband, Daddy and Papa!
Please sign our guest register on line at www.carolinafuneralhome.net).