Gerald R. Hibbs

As a husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa, friend, counselor and teacher, Gerald was a comforter who showered his family and friends with unconditional love. Gerald could have written an entertaining and informative obituary for himself, but he was far too modest and humble to give himself the tribute he deserves. A gifted writer of fiction and poetry, Gerald loved Civil War history and created four novels and many articles and essays based on that tumultuous period of American history. Much to his joy, one of those books, The Dahlgren Papers- based on the era's events and its political and military intrigues-was published in 2010. He said it was the dream of his lifetime. He loved traveling to Washington, D. C. with his wife Linda to visit Civil War battlefields, and was especially inspired to begin his twenty year adventure of research and writing about that period by a trip to Gettysburg while visiting their daughter Lee Ann. Gerald was born in Des Moines, IA, and moved to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota as a young child. Gerald's father accepted a position in Oklahoma City when Gerald was a junior in high school and he was so happy to escape the giant mosquitoes and snow drifts he left behind, that he chose to remain in Oklahoma and graduate from Midwest City High School when his parents returned to Minnesota. Gerald was a chess enthusiast, active in DeMolay International, and he won many contest debates while in high school. He developed lifetime friendships with Ken, Jerry, Johnny, and Brooks, and in addition to the usual high school activities, spent hours driving around in Ken's Model A trying to pick up girls. He received a bachelor's degree in history and education from OU. He served in the army for two years in Louisiana and returned to Oklahoma City to teach middle school social studies at Jackson Middle School and Capitol Hill Middle School. He received an M.Ed in counseling from UCO and spent the rest of his school career as a counselor at CHMS and Jefferson Middle School where he developed a close friendship and an enduring collegial relationship with his fellow counselor, Phynila Graham. He retired in 1990 and continued to donate his time to OKCPS by supporting his wife, Linda, in her job as principal of Andrew Johnson Elementary School. He trimmed shrubs, cut down trees, planted flowers, attended a myriad of school functions and packed her lunch every day for ten years. He would do whatever needed to be done. Gifted with a beautiful tenor voice, Gerald loved music of all types-folk, bluegrass, classical, the Muppets- and was invited to sing in churches, and at many weddings and funerals. He counted among his fondest memories attending live concerts with Linda and Lee Ann including John Denver at Wolftrap. Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, and Rod Stewart. In 1980 he and his dear friends Sharon and Beverly became Thy Group-a gospel trio that performed at churches and nursing homes. Gerald participated in several writers' organizations and critique groups with his favorite writers, Carolyn, Jana, Christina, Red, Barbara, and Phyllis. He won numerous awards for his novels, short stories, and works of non-fiction. He served on the board for Center for the Book and edited and contributed to Braced Against The Wind, a book of poetry and essays compiled by The Prairie Wind Writers, to honor victims and survivors of the 1995 Murrah Building bombing. The book's proceeds are dedicated to scholarships at UCO for the children of victims of the bombing. He was a patriot and an OU football fan. He was proud of his financial support of the Civil War Preservation Trust and his keepsakes included a U.S. flag that was flown over the United States capitol building on his birthday in 1988, a carefully-preserved copy of a Look magazine featuring JFK, news clippings about Obama's first presidential win, OU quarterback Sam Bradford's Heisman trophy award, and a headline page published when OU beat Texas Tech. He had his priorities. Left to cherish Gerald's memory are his wife of 31 years, Linda, whom he adored, and daughters Diane Hibbs, Sally Keathley, Holly Hood, and Lee Ann Alexander for whom he was a loving and supportive father. Also left to remember him are David, Chris, and Greg and his grandchildren, Stephanie, Alex, Jason, Amy, Haley and Garrett, great granddaughter, Raley and his brother–in-law and sister-in-law and their children, Guy, Jana and Julie and their families. Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Lucille Hibbs. He idolized his outgoing father, and he was grateful to his mother for instilling in him a love for books and for reading. Gerald died peacefully at home, surrounded by those who loved him. Please join us in remembering Gerald at Mayflower Congregational Church, 3901 N. W. 63rd St on Thursday, August 8th at 4:00 p.m. If you wish to honor him with a memorial gift, the family requests that you bring a children's book to donate to Andrew Johnson Elementary School. Selected books from his large collection have been donated to U.S. Grant High School.