TRIBUTE TO THE LATE FRANK H. GIBBONS
WHEREAS, Frank H. Gibbons, a most beloved citizen, friend and remarkable member of his community in Harwood Heights, Illinois, has been called home by our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ at the age of ninety eight; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his transition by the Honorable James A. Balcer, Alderman ofthe 11th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Frank H. Gibbons, a Pearl Harbor survivor, passed away on Friday, January 2, 2015. He was born in a farm house in DeKalb County, Illinois on December 4 1916, to George and Amy (Williams) Gibbons, the first of four children. On December 6,1940 he enlisted in the Navy for six years and was trained at Great Lakes Naval Training Station; and
WHEREAS, On December 7,1941 Frank was on board the USS Detroit, docked at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, during the attack. He also served on the destroyer USS Gillespie and the light cruiser USS Providence. He served in the South Pacific, Aleutian Islands, Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea; and
WHEREAS, Frank married Sybil Johnson of Antioch, Illinois on March 16,1943 in San Francisco, California whom he met at a dance during basic training while at Great Lakes Naval Training Station; and
WHEREAS, They bought a home on Senior Place in Harwood Heights, Illinois in 1947 where they raised their seven children and lived until Sybil departed on May 27, 2010. Frank and Sybil were avid square dancers with the Park Ridge Road Runners and enjoyed travelling in their motor home. They spent the winters at Rincon West RV Resort, in Tucson, AZ, from 1989 through 2008; and
WHEREAS, Frank was well-liked among his colleagues as an electrician with Local Union 134 IBEW and he was an active member ofthe Pearl Harbor Survivors Association; and
WHEREAS, Frank will be dearly missed by his children and fondly remembered by his friends and family members. Survivors include his two sisters, Amy Rutherford (age 95) and Violetta Haglund (age 92), and seven children; Cindy (Frank Zeman), Devin (Barbra Blindauer), Keith (Mary Beth Hurley, Scott (Rosemary Rams), Paul (Pat Murray), MaryLynn (Ed O'Callaghan), and Jill (Jeff Bruce); 13 grandchildren, 7 grandchildren plus an additional granddaughter expected in May; nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his first grandson, Brian Gibbons, His brother George Gibbons, and darling wife, Sybil Gibbons; and
WHEREAS, To his beloved family, Frank H. Gibbons imparts a legacy of faithfulness, service and dignity; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members ofthe Chicago City Council gathered here this twenty first day of January, 2015, do hereby express our heartfelt sorrow upon hearing the news of Frank H. Gibbons passing and offer our best wishes that their grief will soon be replaced by the warmth of his memory.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family of Frank H. Gibbons. ^j *-i~i ""jr} } \ |Q