Lee GIBBON

1954 - 2022

Lee Gibbon passed away peacefully on April 3, 2022, at Sacred Heart Hospital after a short illness. Lee was born on August 5, 1954, in Spokane, Wash., to Harlow and Beverly Gibbon. For part of his early life, he lived in Mercer Island, Wash., and Portland, Ore., but Spokane was always his home. He graduated from Lewis & Clark High School in 1972 and went on to attend the University of Washington, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and earned his degree in Law, Societies & Justice.

Lee met the love of his life, Teddie Bravakis, during their senior year of high school on a blind date snow skiing. Regardless of Teddie coming home with a splint, they married in 1978 and started their lives together in the Seattle area. In 1981, Lee and Teddie welcomed their daughter, Alexia, into the world and, a year later, moved back to Spokane, where Lee was a beloved member of the community.

Lee opened Rocky Rococo's in downtown Spokane in the mid-'80s, where he worked until retiring in May 2020. He was an active member of Manito Golf and Country Club, where he served on numerous committees, was a board member for four years, and served as the president in 1998. Lee was also an avid Washington Huskies supporter and a football season-ticket holder upon graduation until his death. He served on the Tyee Board, was the district governor for Eastern Washington of the Alumni Association, and was a committee member of the Friends of the UW School of Medicine Spokane.

Lee was the ultimate family man and was a best friend to many. Lee's family and friends would describe him as genuine, sincere, thoughtful, quick-witted, loyal, fun-loving, dignified, and a perfectionist. He was a great conversationalist and knowledgeable about many subjects. When you conversed with Lee, he had a knack for making you feel important. He seemingly knew everyone, and everyone he knew loved him.

Lee loved playing golf, but mostly he loved being around his friends on the course. Whether at Manito Golf and Country Club, on boat trips with his buddies, in Hawaii or Arizona with family and friends, Lee was always up for a round with good company. He also looked forward to weekly coffee and lunch gatherings with his close friends, and he cherished family trips to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Hawaii each summer.

Lee was a loving husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, son, son-in-law, and most recently, grandfather to his best bud, Kaiden.

Lee is survived by his wife of 43 years, Teddie, daughter, Alexia Tom (Brian), grandson, Kaiden, sisters, Whitney Braden (Tom) and Marcia Martinson, brother-in-law, John Bravakis, and nephews, Jason (Cindy), Adam (Janine), Nick, Shawn, and Tyler. He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The First Tee of the Inland Northwest (https://firstteeinlandnw.org/donate/)

in memory of Lee or a charity of your choosing. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.