John Gibbs Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

John P. Gibbs Though saddened by the loss of our father, grandfather and great grandfather, John P. Gibbs, we are happy in the knowledge he is with his Heavenly Father and his beloved wife, Helen Seidel Gibbs. Born in New York City, NY on March 13, 1915, his long life generated a myriad of interesting stories that he loved to tell. Some of these stories included growing up in NYC, assisting his mother with costume design for Broadway shows and the number of interesting people he met throughout his career. He attended Manhattan University and Cornell University in New York earning a degree in film editing. He served his country, during World War II, in the U.S. Navy. Though he could have been assigned to a submarine, he was sent to the naval base in Anacosta, VA where he used his skills as a film editor. His editing credits included work on the ?Victory at Sea? series. Upon honorable discharge from the Navy, he worked in California, Detroit and Minnesota. Chicago, IL was where he spent most of his life editing television commercials as well as participating in movie work and advertising. After the loss of his beloved wife, Helen in 1999, he came to live with his daughter and her family in West Virginia. He is survived by his daughter, Jacqueline Portillo; granddaughters Holly & Kristen Portillo, residents of Hurricane and Danielle Smith, resident of Nitro; and, great granddaughters, Sierra and Gabrielle Portillo, also living in Hurricane. For those who knew him, his stories will be greatly missed. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00am Monday March 28, 2011 at The Catholic Church of the Ascension, 905 Hickory Mills Road, Hurricane with Father Neil Buchlein as celebrant. Burial will follow in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Charleston.