James "Jim" Eugene Gibbs

James Eugene “Jim” Gibbs

July 5, 1950 ~ April 26, 2022

James Eugene “Jim” Gibbs, having lived a life full of love, service, hard work, and faith, has returned home to the God who gave him life.

On April 26, 2022, Jim was traveling home from an extended vacation with his sweetheart, Mechel. After a brief stop to rest in Laramie, WY, he peacefully moved on to his next adventure, one that included a reunion with beloved friends and family.

Jim was born on July 5, 1950 in Berkeley, CA to Wanda Purser Leishman and Eugene Jens Gibbs. He grew up in Springville, UT. As a young boy, he had a life-threatening accident by ingesting lye. Thanks to the doctors and staff at Primary Children’s Hospital, he survived and thrived against the odds and grew to fulfil the legacy that you see today. He moved back to Walnut Creek, CA during his teenage years. He graduated from Del Valle High School. 

He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in the Texas Dallas Mission, as well as various callings later in his life. He loved serving as the ward clerk and fulfilled that calling for over 25 years.

The woman who forever won his heart is Mechel Montgomery. After a brief courtship, they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on June 25, 1975. They raised four children together.

He lived most of his life in Ogden, UT. He received an AS in Accounting from Stevens-Henager College and was employed at Hone Oil, Thiokol, and Kimberly-Clark, until he retired in 2017.

Jim was a hard worker. He was meticulous in all of his projects. He taught that doing a job well the first time was the best way to reach success. Safety was a top priority. His kids all knew that the van wouldn’t start until their seatbelts were latched. He performed random fire drills in the wee hours of the morning by testing the smoke detector to make sure his kids would wake up if there were ever a house fire. He used this passion for safety and preparedness to volunteer on the Safety Committee and First Responders Fire Brigade at KC for 20 years.

Jim loved the ocean and loved to SCUBA dive. For many years he was a SCUBA Divemaster and instructor at Dive Utah. He used this talent to volunteer on the Weber County Underwater Search and Recovery Dive Team. His service helped many families receive closure when a loved one had drowned. He also volunteered for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). After retirement, he volunteered at the Weber County Sport Shooting Complex where he built cherished friendships.

Jim is survived by his wife, Mechel, Farr West, UT; his four children: Jamie (Andrew) Coy, Greencastle, PA; Jens (Tiffany) Gibbs, Kaysville, UT; Zach (Stacie) Gibbs, North Ogden, UT; Beau (Amanda) Gibbs, Hampton, VA; 15 grandchildren, plus 4 foster grandchildren; his siblings, Vicki (John) Jex, Roy, UT; Tamara (Craig) Mecham, Logan, UT; Richard (Lori) Gibbs, Pleasant View, UT; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, and by one special grandson, Kaisen James Gibbs, of whom he was really looking forward to getting to know.

Up until the very end, his positive outlook on life and his sense of humor stayed with him. Even though he had many physical challenges in the last year of his life, he never missed an opportunity to crack a subtle joke or to photobomb a picture, even while riding his scooter.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday, May 6^th from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary. Interment, next to Kaisen at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington

Jim lived life to the fullest until the very end. He was a fighter, but also a peacemaker. He had a gift to diffuse contention or gloominess with a little jest. The world is a better place for him being in it. He is already deeply missed and we look forward to seeing him again.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Primary Children’s Hospital at https://secure3.convio.net/ihchs/site/Donation2?df_id=1566&mfc_pref=T&1566.donation=form1