Buddy Wayne Gibson

 

Buddy Wayne Gibson passed away in the comfort of his home on October 9, 2023 at the age of 80. 

 

Buddy was preceded in death by his three brothers Ken Gipson, Lawrence Gibson, and Roy Gene Gipson; and brother-in-law Douglas Pioch. He is survived by his wife Gwen (Pioch) and son Matthew; brother Tim Gibson (wife Brenda); two sisters Anna Gipson and Becky Brosnan (husband Joe); sisters-in-law Roberta Pioch, Rebecca (husband Mark) Wittmayer, and Marie (the late Douglas) Pioch; brother-in-law David Pioch (wife Jennifer); and countless cherished nieces and nephews.

 

Buddy was born on March 20, 1943 in the hills of Moss, Tennessee to the late George and Roxie (Green) Gipson. The family moved to Tipton, Indiana in his early childhood, and he graduated from Tipton High School in 1962. As a boy, he held a newspaper route, washed cars, and collected abandoned golf balls from the local course to resell to golfers in town. After graduation, he worked for a short while at an auto factory in Anderson before determining that he should pursue a college degree.

 

Buddy began his studies at the Indiana University Kokomo campus, where he studied hard and saved up for a move to the main campus in Bloomington. His college career was interrupted by a call to service in the US Army, where he was stationed in Germany. After being discharged, he returned to the IU Bloomington campus and graduated in 1972 from what is now the Kelley School of Business.

 

After college, Buddy spent his career in retail, sales, and apparel, traveling the world through a variety of positions at Sanger Harris, Indiana Gear Works, Lazarus department stores, the Indianapolis institution L.S. Ayres & Company (where he met Gwen), Harry Levinson's Indianapolis, Boulder Apparel Corporation, and Logo 7/Reebok before finally retiring from Adidas in 2012.

 

In retirement, Buddy was a voracious reader, a frequent golfer, and a daily crossword puzzler. Frequent trips to Bloomington to visit his son in school and see the changing town and campus were one of his great pleasures, as were annual trips to South Haven, MI and returns to Tipton for Class Of '62 gatherings. Buddy also spent decades of weekend mornings enjoying family time and socializing with neighbors at Starbucks locations near his home. True to his name, he was always quick with a smile and a laugh for dozens of fellow customers and former and current employees.

 

Visitation will be held from 4-8pm on Thursday, October 19 at Flanner Buchanan Oaklawn Memorial Gardens. A memorial service will be held at 11am on Friday, October 20 at Cross & Crown Lutheran Church, with additional visitation at 10am before the service. Burial will follow at Oaklawn.

Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's favorite charity.