John Michael Gibbens

When John J. Gibbens returned to the states in November 1945, after 23 months of military service in the South Pacific, he and his wife Irene wanted nothing more than to start a family. John Michael Gibbens was born on October 1, 1946, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and grew up in a loving family with his two younger sisters, Susan and Janet. Mike’s father’s job as a Senior Reservoir Engineer with Shell Oil Company required them to move as newly oil fields were discovered.

Most of Mike’s youth was spent in Centralia, Illinois, but the family moved again just before his senior year in high school. In 1964, Mike graduated in a class of 799 students in John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City, OK.

In September 1964, Mike enrolled in Electrical Engineering at Rolla School of Mines in Rolla, Missouri, and subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Louisiana Tech. He attended classes with the first group to take all of the curriculum courses in the new Computer Science Department at LA Tech.

His degree was in Computer Science and his career began when programming was still in its infancy. He specialized in financial applications and worked for Ouachita National Bank in Monroe and Northeast Louisiana University (heading up the financial applications department under the Executive Vice President). He then spent 21 years with CenturyTel as a Financial Applications Programming Supervisor, and the last four years in the Internal Audit Department as the Computer Systems Auditor. He retired from CenturyTel at the end of 2003. There followed a tenure at Home Depot where Michael became certified in the Hardware, Electrical and finally, the Paint and Finishes departments. A return to CenturyLink for a three-year stint completed his long career.

These last years have been spent managing family properties, volunteering at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, The Desiard Street Mission, The Little Theater, and The Rays of Sonshine. These efforts were very rewarding and fulfilling to Michael and he also enjoyed woodworking, cabinet making, church play production and traveling throughout this great country.

He was preceded in death by his father, John J. Gibbens; his mother, Irene Schuerman Gibbens; and a son, Bryan David Gibbens.

He is survived by his beautiful wife of 48 years, Dianne Walters Gibbens; a daughter, Karen Dianne Gibbens; two sisters; a niece and her husband and four children; a nephew and his wife; and numerous relatives on both sides of the family.

Honorary Pallbearers are Dr. Glenn Jordan, Tom Toston, Jeff Mouk, Hunt Neely, Rev. Jason Foster, Hap Martin and the United Methodist Men of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

A visitation will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, September 15, 2019, in the parlor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. A memorial service will follow the visitation at 3:00 P.M. with Rev. Lori Spangler and Rev. R. B. Moore officiating.

Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com