James Keith Gibson, Sr

July 15, 1930 - May 30, 2016

.Memorial services for JAMES KEITH GIBSON SR, 85, will be held at 3pm Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at Community Presbyterian Church in Lingle, Wyoming. Jim died May 30, 2016 at Skyview at Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Nebraska and cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the Lingle Volunteer Fire Department. Arrangements are under the direction of the Colyer Funeral Home and friends may send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com. Born to parents Claude and Jimmie Gibson on July 15, 1930 in Quitman, Texas James “Jim” attended school in Sunrise, Wyoming and graduated from Lingle, Wyoming where he met his high school sweetheart Merne Jones, who he later married. After graduation Jim joined the Air Force and graduated from Officer’s Candidate School in San Antonio, Texas where he met his lifetime friend Floyd Hoover. Jim spent thirty years in the service which included jet pilot, flight instructor, a tour of Okinawa where he flew C130 Cargo aircrafts, Chief Test Pilot for the Air Force C141 project, a tour of Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller, where he was one of the most highly decorated Air Force Officers. After returning from Vietnam he was awarded the Air Force Cross by Vice President Hubert Humphrey. He was then stationed at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he served as the ROTC Commander. Jim was then stationed in Ottawa, Canada as the military liaison between the US Air Force and the Canadian Government. Jim’s last tour of duty was the one that he most highly desired at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming as the Commander of the United States Air Force ROTC program. After retiring in 1977 Jim and his family returned to Lingle, Wyoming where he had a successful career in real estate, insurance, financial advising, and auctioneering. He was also involved with Economic Development where he was actively involved with such projects as the Nursing Home, Rendevous Center at the fairgrounds as well as numerous other projects that benefitted and still do benefit Goshen County. He also spent four years as a Goshen County Commissioner. Jim is survived by his wife of sixty-eight years Merne Gibson of Lingle, Wyoming; five children James Keith Gibson Jr, Jack Gibson and Tracie Patrick all of Lingle, Tarrie Goddard of Sturgis, South Dakota, and Jerry Gibson of Cibilo, Texas; eight grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; as well as his brother Ernest Lee Gibson of Medina, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.