Frank Kendall Gibbs
Marriages
Margaret Jean Blackhurst - April 4, 1945
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - October 28, 2018
Frank Kendall Gibbs, 94, of Las Vegas, Nevada passed away on October 21, 2018. Frank was born in Colbran, Colorado on August 8, 1924, to Russell Clark Gibbs and Laura Kendall Gibbs. He grew up in Fruitvale, Colorado and graduated from Fruitvale High School in May, 1942. A few short months later, on August 28, 1942, Frank was among four Western Slope men who were accepted for Navy Aviation training. After completing flight training in Pensacola, Florida, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and was deployed overseas as a naval pilot to fight for his country in WWII. He flew Grumman F4F Wildcats off the USS Hoggatt Bay in the Pacific and was involved in several invasions including Saipan and the Philippines. Frank married his wife and the love of his life, Margaret Jean Blackhurst, on April 4, 1945, at the Arlington Naval Base in Arlington, Washington. In attendance at the wedding were 50 officers of the naval air squadron of which Lt. (jg) Gibbs was a member. Upon his release from active service at the end of WWII, Frank enrolled at Mesa State University and began pursuit of his engineering degree and ultimately transferred to Colorado School of Mines. While at Mines, Frank joined Reserve Squadron VF-713 at Buckley Naval Air Station. In February 1951, his squadron was called up to join the fight in Korea. Frank flew Corsairs from the USS Antietam, an aircraft carrier that scored one of the most distinguished records in Korean theater naval operations. Lieutenant Frank K. Gibbs, was released from active duty from the Korean War on June 9, 1953. He remained in the Naval Reserve and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. During his service to his country he was awarded several medals including the Air Medal twice, Philippine Liberation Medal (WWII), Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal (Korea), and the American Campaign Medal. After his service in the Korean War, Margaret and Frank moved to Colorado where Frank received his Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines on May 27, 1955. In 1967, Frank received his Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Montana. He worked in the oil and gas industry as a geologist in the U.S. and overseas for several decades. Frank and Margaret had a fulfilling life of travel and adventure. While their adventures took them to several destinations across the country and abroad, they retired first in the Grand Junction, Colorado area and ultimately in Las Vegas, Nevada. Frank had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed playing golf, cards, and a game of chance. A true geologist at heart, Frank spent many years prospecting and panning for gold across the Western U.S. accompanied by Margaret. Frank was preceded in death by both parents and his sister, Barbara Jean Patterson. He is survived by his brothers, Ed Gibbs (Gerry) of Lakewood, Colorado; David Foster of Grand Junction, Colorado; Susan Foster; and several nieces and nephews. We plan to have a Military Service at Memorial Gardens in Grand Junction in May, 2019. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.
