Obituary for Dale C Gibson
Dale Caryl Gibson passed away peacefully at home in Ephrata on Oct. 29 after a long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife, five children and numerous grandchildren.
Born May 30, 1943 in Albany, Ore., to Otis Dale Gibson and Jamie Virginia (Nash) Gibson, Dale was raised and schooled in Quincy before receiving a BA in Zoology from Central Washington University. Dale joined the Navy after college and was proud of his service during Vietnam (1966-70), where he attended Hospital Corps School and Neuro Psychiatric School, while assigned as a corpsman to a Marine amphibious vessel.
After Vietnam, Dale returned to Quincy where he continued the family interest in the apple business, first at Forney Fruit & Produce and then as a stalwart employee of nearly 38 years for Quincy Farm Chemicals and the McGregor Company as a tree fruit specialist. He was a member of the American Legion, the Quincy Moose, Washington State Horticulture Association, Grant County Pest Board and Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum.
Whether visiting clients in their orchards, running errands around town or spending time with friends and family, Dale always had a smile and jovial laugh at the ready. In 1984, Dale married Cynthia (Tonkovich) Lynn and moved to Ephrata, where the two, with their perfectly blended family of five children, lived for 36 years. He was the epitome of a family man; a good, caring, loving and generous husband and father who would do anything for his wife and children.
Dale and Cindy travelled the U.S. together, as well as internationally, visiting their children in Virginia, Oklahoma, New Jersey, North and South Dakota, Idaho, England and Scotland, as well as adventuring with family and friends in Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean, Mexico, Georgia, Hawaii, Arizona, Alaska, and several family trips to the Oregon coast and Disneyland. The couple couldn’t resist a nearby casino, and Dale especially enjoyed pai gow and blackjack, as well as teaching his children and grandchildren to play poker at a questionable age. Dale also enjoyed fishing, golf (including a hole-in-one at Colockum Ridge in 2016), cribbage, crossword puzzles, tending to his apple trees and rose bushes, and teaching line-dancing classes.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, sister (Teresa Gibson) and grandson (Jacob Moore). He is survived by his wife Cynthia, daughters Janine Kessler, Stephanie Rivera, Ginny Moore, Bridget Duricic, son Brian Lynn, and their nine children.
A private inurnment will take place at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, and a celebration of life for friends and family will be held when COVID restrictions allow. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund or Cancer Care Northwest.
Please leave a memory for the family or sign their online guestbook at www.scharbachs.com.
Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel, Quincy, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Born May 30, 1943 in Albany, Ore., to Otis Dale Gibson and Jamie Virginia (Nash) Gibson, Dale was raised and schooled in Quincy before receiving a BA in Zoology from Central Washington University. Dale joined the Navy after college and was proud of his service during Vietnam (1966-70), where he attended Hospital Corps School and Neuro Psychiatric School, while assigned as a corpsman to a Marine amphibious vessel.
After Vietnam, Dale returned to Quincy where he continued the family interest in the apple business, first at Forney Fruit & Produce and then as a stalwart employee of nearly 38 years for Quincy Farm Chemicals and the McGregor Company as a tree fruit specialist. He was a member of the American Legion, the Quincy Moose, Washington State Horticulture Association, Grant County Pest Board and Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum.
Whether visiting clients in their orchards, running errands around town or spending time with friends and family, Dale always had a smile and jovial laugh at the ready. In 1984, Dale married Cynthia (Tonkovich) Lynn and moved to Ephrata, where the two, with their perfectly blended family of five children, lived for 36 years. He was the epitome of a family man; a good, caring, loving and generous husband and father who would do anything for his wife and children.
Dale and Cindy travelled the U.S. together, as well as internationally, visiting their children in Virginia, Oklahoma, New Jersey, North and South Dakota, Idaho, England and Scotland, as well as adventuring with family and friends in Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean, Mexico, Georgia, Hawaii, Arizona, Alaska, and several family trips to the Oregon coast and Disneyland. The couple couldn’t resist a nearby casino, and Dale especially enjoyed pai gow and blackjack, as well as teaching his children and grandchildren to play poker at a questionable age. Dale also enjoyed fishing, golf (including a hole-in-one at Colockum Ridge in 2016), cribbage, crossword puzzles, tending to his apple trees and rose bushes, and teaching line-dancing classes.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents, sister (Teresa Gibson) and grandson (Jacob Moore). He is survived by his wife Cynthia, daughters Janine Kessler, Stephanie Rivera, Ginny Moore, Bridget Duricic, son Brian Lynn, and their nine children.
A private inurnment will take place at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, and a celebration of life for friends and family will be held when COVID restrictions allow. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund or Cancer Care Northwest.
Please leave a memory for the family or sign their online guestbook at www.scharbachs.com.
Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel, Quincy, is assisting the family with arrangements.