WILLIAM S. GIBBONS JR.
Died Oct. 9, 2015
William S. Gibbons Jr. 45, passed away Friday, Oct. 9, 2015.
He was born in Goldsboro, N.C., and was vice president of engineering at Cook Medical in Bloomington, Ind.
Bill was married to Emily Bell Gibbons, also born in Goldsboro, N.C., and had two children, 15-year-old twins. Will and Abbey. His family was his life, and everything he did was in support of them.
Bill was the consummate professional as he moved through the ranks at Cook Medical, starting as a development engineer and president of endoscopy in the Winston-Salem office.
In 2009, Cook moved Bill and his family to the Bloomington headquarters, where he was named to his current role of vice president of engineering. Bill was a quiet executive, leading by example. His group included more than 350 employees in eight locations around the world.
Bill also led by example in his academic life, graduating magna cum laude from North Carolina State University with a degree in aerospace engineering, which he used to launch his career.
Never satisfied with his learning, Bill received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of North Carolina, and had been party to multiple patents.
It has been said that Bill never saw his work as the tools and devices, but as the people for whom the devices were created. No matter the topic or the question, it always came back to the patient. His colleagues and employees felt this in his everyday life, and he leaves enormous shoes to fill at Cook.
In addition to his family, which was always his greatest joy, and his work, which allowed him to use his knowledge to make this world a better place, Bill loved to fly. He traveled the world for his work, and it was through this, and his early interest in aerospace engineering, that led him to get his private pilot's license.
He loved being in the sky over southern Indiana on a beautiful Saturday afternoon; he loved being able to jump down to North Carolina to see friends and family at a moment's notice; and he loved taking his family on little getaways or to watch their beloved North Carolina State Wolfpack play ball.
Bill will be greatly missed by his many friends and coworkers, and is survived by his wife, Emily, and his son, Will, both of Bloomington; his mother, Mary Jane Holtoner of Goldsboro, N.C.; his father, Stewart Gibbons (Jane) of Tampa, Fla.; his parents-in-law, Sandra and Robert Bell of Goldsboro; his brother-in-law, Jeffery Bell (Reagan); and nephews, Finnegan and Teague.
Bill was proceeded in death by his grandparents, Colonel William and Paula Gibbons of Macon, Ga., and General J. Stanley and Mary Jane Holtoner of New York, N.Y.
Bill was on a father-daughter trip with his daughter, Abbey, doing what they loved -- riding roller coasters and flying -- and he will be laid to rest alongside her in North Carolina.
Services will be held in Goldsboro, N.C., at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, at Goldsboro First Christian Church, 1609 E. Ash St., with visitation from 1 to 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the North Carolina State University Bill Gibbons Scholarship Fund, www.go.ncsu.edu/engineering-giving.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on October 14, 2015 1:49 PM