Thomas Alfred 'Red Gibbon' Gibson, 63

Thomas Alfred "Red Gibbon" Gibson, 63, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center in Kalispell. He was born on Jan. 13, 1946, in Kalispell, the son of Choteau Lane and Dorothy Mae (Jungers) Gibson.

He attended grade school at Batavia School and graduated from Flathead High School in 1964. He joined the National Guard in 1965 and was married to Addy Lobdell in 1967.

He worked as a mechanic at the Equity Co-Op until 1976, and then owned and operated Gibson America Gas Power until 1995. He retired from the City of Kalispell in 2008.

He and his daughters shared the love of softball by playing and coaching for many years, as well as the love of the outdoors. His passions in life were fishing, the Outlaw Car Club, tinkering, and the meticulous restoration of Ford vehicles.

He was also an avid Chicago Bears fan. People who knew him were very familiar with his dry sense of humor and "Tomisms."

He didn't miss a Memorial Day weekend or first week of hunting with the boys. In his younger years, Tom started his day hanging with the gang at Buzz's and, the last few years, at Roche's. On the weekends, he could be found on the Stillwater River, with Bud Light and Mel Tweet.

Tom is survived by his wife of 42 years, Addy Gibson, of Kalispell; two daughters, Angie "Bugs" Gallant and husband Bill of Virginia, and Jill "Wolf" Tyler and husband Rick of Kalispell; one cousin, Geraldine Dale; and grandchildren, Cody "Weasel"; Tommy "Monk"; Scotty "Buckshot"; and Laura "Pooh". He also leaves behind Black Dog.

Memorial services for Tom will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, in the Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Chapel. Visitation was held Oct. 6.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Tom's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and sign Tom's guest book.