AIKEN, S.C. -- John Martin Gibbons, a longtime resident of Statesboro, Georgia, passed away from complications of diabetes in Aiken, S.C., on December 28, 2024. He was 92.

A native of Manhattan, N.Y., John was born on November 28, 1932.

A staff sergeant in the Marine Corps, he was assigned as a weatherman at the Naval Edenton Air Station until 1954.

He attended Rutgers University and Queens College.

He met his wife, Mimi DeMaria, in Manhattan and they became engaged on their third date and married in 1960.

Mimi predeceased him in 2021.

Mimi and John lived for a few years on Long Island, New York, and then in Middletown, N.J.

An engineer, John accepted a transfer with Cooper-Wiss and the family moved to Statesboro, Georgia, in 1979, where they raised their four daughters.

While in Statesboro, the Gibbons' family lived in Irongate subdivision. They were active members of St. Matthews Catholic Church.

John also owned the wine shop, The Decanter, in Savannah for many years after his retirement from Cooper Wiss.

In 2019, Mimi and John moved to Atlanta to be near three of their daughters. After spending time in Santa Rosa, Calif., after Mimi's death in 2021, John returned to the East Coast in 2022 and moved to Aiken, S.C., to be close to his daughters. While in Aiken, he enjoyed watching his beloved New York Giants play at Tailgate Tavern on Sundays during football season.

John and Mimi loved to travel. In addition to many trips across the United States, some of their overseas ventures included the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Asia, Italy, Russia, Egypt and a surprise visit to old friends from Middletown in Ireland.

John's love of hiking took him to South America, the Grand Canyon and several trips to Alaska.

John was proud of his Irish heritage and obtained dual Irish citizenship in 1996.

John is predeceased in death by his by his parents, Martin and Marie Gibbons of New York City; his wife, Mimi; his brother, Richard Gibbons; and his sister, Mary Mitaritonna.

He is survived by four daughters, Jackie Wammock of Aiken, S.C.; Laurie Gibbons of Santa Rosa, Calif.; Karen Feagin of Atlanta and Allison Tokar of Dublin, Ga.; devoted sons and daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Ann Gibbons of Scotch Plains, N.J.; and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Larry and Patti DeMaria of The Villages, Florida.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Trinity on Laurens for their devoted and kind care of John.

A service will be announced at a later date.

Shellhouse Funeral Home, Inc., 924 Hayne Avenue, Aiken, SC 29801.

Statesboro Herald, January 2, 2025

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