Funeral services for W.E. (Earl) Gibson, 92, of Jacksonville, AL, will be held at Crestwood Funeral Home in Gadsden at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Pastor Jame O. Wallace will officiate.A private burial will follow at Crestwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends for a visitation from noon to 1 p.m.
Mr. Gibson was preceded in death by his parents, Lorenzo and Jeppie Gibson; sister, Alma DeStefano; twin brother, Burl Gibson; and brother, Baron Gibson.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Martha Gibson; son, David (Donna); son, Donald; grandsons, Kevin (Morgan), Wes and Brad; great-granddaughter, Amelia; brother, Robert (Louise); sister, Jane Waters; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Earl was born in Lineville, Alabama, in Clay County. He and his brothers and sisters were raised by their father who instilled great values of hard work and love of family.He loved any sporting event ,but especially baseball. The day after high school graduation,Earl and Burl his twin brother enlisted in the Army and served three years in Occupied Germany during World War II . After the war, he and his brother Robert attended the University of Alabama. They were later joined there by sister Jane, who could never get away with anything while being under the watchful eyes of her brothers. In two years, he transferred to Jacksonville State to play baseball. There he met the love of his life, Martha Kirby, who would become Martha Gibson.
Straight out of college, he went to work at Goodyear in Gadsden in the Quality Control Department; he retired after 35 years of service. It was fondly said that if Earl recognized anyone in the plant that he knew, he would stop and speak to them. He was a quiet leader who coached youth baseball in Gadsden for over 25 years. He loved cooking spaghetti for the Men's Club at Bellevue Methodist. His family had great memories going to Alabama football games with Uncle Robert (Hoot), and listening to he and Earl fuss about all of the 18-wheeler trucks on the highway, and reminiscing about going to games with their brothers and sisters in the '30s and '40s.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Eduardo Villeda, and all of the special nurses at RMC Anniston who cared for our dad.  He spent the last 3.5 years at Legacy Village Assisted Living in Jacksonville, and received special love and care there by the staff. Also thanks to the staff at Jacksonville Health and Rehab for their concern and efforts in the months following his strokes.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts to Bellevue Methodist Church in Gadsden, or First Methodist Church in Jacksonville. Earl was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle and grandparent. He loved all of his family, his hometown of Lineville, and the Alabama Crimson Tide.