Obituary of Edward W. Gibbons

Edward W. Gibbons passed away on November 11, 2011 in Santa Barbara, California after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Ed resided in Montecito, California with his wife, Deborah and son, Elijah. Ed was born on March 12, 1936, in Wilmington, Delaware to Robert and Anna (Netsch) Gibbons. Raised in the small town of Saint Georges, Delaware, Ed attended Delaware City High School where he was an outstanding athlete in football, basketball, and baseball as well as president of the student council. He also attended Columbia Preparatory School. Ed entered the United States Naval Academy in 1955 and served as Company Commander of the 15th Company while at the Academy. He was a 1959 graduate, earning a B.S. in Engineering. Ed played football and lacrosse for Navy. He was the Captain of the Navy lacrosse team and was on the 1958-59 All American Lacrosse Team. At graduation he was awarded the Stuart Oxnard Miller Memorial Lacrosse Cup. He is honored in the USNA Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which he helped to establish in 2007. After graduation from the Naval Academy, Ed was commissioned to enter the United States Marine Corps and served as an infantry officer in the Pacific Theatre from 1959 to 1964. Following his service in the Marine Corps, he attended Harvard Business School, graduating in 1966. Ed was a founding and managing partner of Gibbons, Green, van Amerongen, a merchant banking firm, (later, Gibbons, Goodwin, van Amerongen) with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. He later established his own firm, Gibbons and Company, in New York City. During his business career, he served as a Director on the Boards of numerous companies including Robert Half International, Jack-in-the-Box, Summerwinds Nurseries, Syracuse China, Bath Iron Works, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of NY, and others. Ed was well respected for his philanthropic and community involvement, which included the United States Naval Academy, Navy Lacrosse, and Team One Hundred. Edward is survived by his wife, Deborah (nee Hamilton) Gibbons, and by his children, Vanessa Rob Gibbons and Christopher Rob Gibbons (children of Arlene Nesbitt). He is also survived by his stepchildren Brian Alley and his wife Laura, Megan Bass and her husband Jeremy, and Elijah Bittleston, as well as grandchildren, Jackson Bass, Colton Bass and Zoe Elizabeth Bass. Ed is also survived by all three of his siblings, Robert Gibbons and his wife, Joan, William Gibbons and his wife, Gayle, and Judy Stevenson and her husband Peter, and extended family. It can truly be said of Edward Gibbons that this was a man who lived his life in Semper Fi! Funeral Services will be held on November 21, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. Committal will follow at the USNA Columbarium. A reception in honor of Ed will held at Rose Story Farm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends make a gift in Ed's honor to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, for the Men's Lacrosse Program, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402.