Jack Gibson

Jack Gibson John "Jack" Sanderson Gibson, 95, was born in San Jacinto, California and died peacefully in Morro Bay on October 19, 2016. Jack and Jane Gibson moved to Cambria in 1980 where they started Red Wing Ranch near Santa Rosa Creek. There they grew avocados, artichokes, pumpkins, other row crops, and their famous "Sweetie" corn. Jack and Jane were founding vendors of the Cambria Farmers Market and managed that Cambria institution from 1989 to 2009. Jack grew up on the shore of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, where his parents grew olives. After his father's untimely death in 1936, Jack, his two brothers and mother relocated to San Fernando, a city where Jack's great grandfather, Charles Maclay, first settled the family in 1874. He graduated from San Fernando High School, studied engineering at UC Berkeley and UCLA before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1942. Jack served in the 20th Air Force, 58th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Calcutta in the China Burma India Theatre. Flying as a Central Fire Control gunner on the B-29, Jack completed more than 50 missions over the Himalayas before his plane was shot down near Singapore in March, 1945. After 48 hours in a life raft, Jack and 8 other crew members were picked up by the Japanese Military Police. They were held as Prisoners of the Emperor of Japan in Singapore's Outram Prison until the end of the war. After the war, Jack and Jane were married in 1949. Jack worked as a line engineer for General Telephone Co. in Santa Monica before being trained as a computer programmer in 1957. By the mid-60's Jack started his first computer systems company. In 1967, he, Jane and their two sons left the San Fernando Valley and moved to Santa Barbara. In 1973, Jack and Jane established their first avocado grove in the hills above Montecito, and later, upon Jack's retirement from the computer industry and Jane's retirement from UC Santa Barbara, they moved to Cambria. Jack is survived by Jane, his wife of 67 years; their sons and daughters-in-law, Bruce and Cherie Gibson, and Paul Gibson and Joan Eaton; devoted family member Grace Crittenden; and five grandchildren: Brian, Kate, Scott, Claire and Kimberly Gibson. A celebration of Jack's life will be held from 5:00 to 7:00pm, November 11, 2016, at the Cambria Veterans Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donors to contribute to their favorite charity. Sign his guestbook at sanluisobispo.com/obituaries