Reading Of The Obituary

 which was done by my three sisters.  It is the obituary with additional experiences thrown in--I loved it!

LIFE SKETCH OF RICHARD CREIGHTON GIBERSON

read by Robin Giberson, Valerie Ipson, Lynette Giberson

at his funeral 10/6/22, Amarillo Texas

 

Richard Creighton Giberson, 89, passed away on September 21, 2022 in Midvale, Utah. He was born on June 18, 1933 in Long Beach, California to Harry Hollis and Viola Grace Morgan Ollie. Shortly after his birth his mother passed away and he was later adopted by James Earl and Gladys Ramona Ackley Giberson.

At the recent General Conference Elder Gong quoted a friend of his who said: “A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. How we come into this world is less important than who we are when we leave it.”

His parents divorced when he was young and he was raised by his mother. Of her, Dad said she wasn’t religious but she taught him correct principles, and always stuck up for him in any situation. From his autobiography: “It may be worth noting that my mother and I had a close, trusting relationship. She taught me to be honest, to never tell a lie, in short to be good. I never disappointed her in that regard…”

Richard lived many places while growing up, spending the most time on the west coast, notably the San Francisco Bay area and San Diego. He graduated from La Jolla High School and attended Brigham Young University where he graduated in chemistry in 1955. He received a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Idaho.

From our dad’s autobiography: “My mother…enrolled me in a Catholic school...I attribute to those nuns the ability to set me on a love for learning. I also had the unique opportunity to play a “candy cane” in their Christmas program. As a non-Catholic that was somewhat remarkable. Also remarkable, of course, is that my mother would go to the expense of sending me to that school. We certainly didn’t have much in the way of money.”

While completing his undergraduate studies two significant events occurred: he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he met Eileen Jane Owen. Both became a guiding force in his life. They were married on September 14, 1954 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They had eight children: Judy, Todd, Mike, Robin, Valerie, Lynette, Rick, and Scott, and later added “church” daughter, Denise, into the family. After Eileen’s death in 1995, he married Karla Buckmiller.

Dad said he didn’t know how to be a dad because he never had one, but he was the one we had and we felt it a privilege to be the “Giberson kids.”

Richard spent his work life as a scientist, first at the Hanford plant in Richland, Washington, and then with Mason & Hanger at the Pantex plant outside of Amarillo, Texas, where he retired in 1995. 

He was active in the church, serving in a variety of leadership and teaching callings. He especially enjoyed teaching the Gospel Doctrine class. He and Karla served in the Japan Sendai Mission, fulfilling a dream of his to be a full-time missionary. They served as temple workers in the Lubbock Texas and Jordan River Utah Temples.

Dad was a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. We have watched him serve and teach and love in so many ways. Many in Richland and Amarillo wards, and beyond, have learned from his testimony and quiet example.

Richard loved sports and games throughout his life. His children have many fond memories of him teaching and playing games with them. He has written for game playing magazines. He also playtested Avalon Hills’ “Battle of the Bulge” and beta tested the computer game, “Trains.” In the latter years of his life he focused on creating his own games, and along with his wife he launched a game company called “giberiginals” in 2016. Richard enjoyed writing and the theatre. Over his adult life he wrote and performed within the church and in the community.  He also loved trains, traveling, computers and reading.

Inspired by our mom who wrote a version of her autobiography in verse, Dad did the same. His was titled GAMES, where he described the events of his life through various games like Monopoly, Careers, and the Game of Life. His further writing included a Dungeons & Dragons inspired novel called “Mitzpah’s Stones” which he wrote with our mom and Bob Barton.

Even with eight children and all their stuff to load up, Dad always felt family vacations were important. We camped a lot. We took many trips down the Coast of Oregon and California, and elsewhere. A favorite vacation was to Banff, Canada.

Road trips gave Dad many opportunities to use his favorite dad sayings: like, “Load ‘em up and roll ‘em out.”

“Let’s take off like a scalded Billy goat.”

And, “Let’s take off like a Purple People Eater.”

Dad probably felt like he spent a lot of time sitting in the driveway waiting for one or more of us so we could leave for church. If one of us called: “I’m coming,” Dad would say: ”So is Christmas” or the always popular: “You’re slower than molasses in January.”

If we slept in late and finally awoke, Dad would say: “Look who’s resurrected” or “Another country heard from.”

Most of all Richard loved his family, and treasured the scripture found in Psalm 127, “…children are an heritage of the Lord…As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.” He was well-loved by his children and extended family.

Richard enjoyed becoming reacquainted with his biological mother’s family through Morgan family reunions. Later in life through Ancestry DNA, he was privileged to meet and connect with two half brothers on his biological father’s side, Edward and Michael Tegland.

It was once said of Richard: “He was a man of few words, but when he spoke people listened.”

He himself often quoted Mark Twain: “It is better for a man to remain silent and appear a fool, than to open his mouth and remove all doubt.”

 Above his computer desk sat a plaque with these words: “When unsure, ponder. When in charge, delegate. When in doubt, mumble.”

He is survived by his wife, Karla, his eight children, including spouses, Judith (Gary) Hall, Todd (Lea), Michael (Andrea), Robin, Valerie Ipson, Lynette, Richard (Linda), Scott, and stepchildren Kim (Layne) Rasmussen, David (Dawn) Dodson, Dana (Gerald) Armentrout, and between the combined families 44 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen, daughter-in-law, Joann Giberson, son-in-law, Lance Ipson, and step son-in-law, Joe Bolin.

Our father’s beginnings may have been as a bent branch on the family tree but he has left this life better than he found it, and left us a lasting legacy.