TORRINGTON – Memorial services for Jack D. Gibson, 70, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 3, 2021, at the First Wyoming United Presbyterian Church with Eric Anderson officiating. Jack left this life to begin his next journey on June 26, 2021. Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the Lingle Fire and Rescue Units. Arrangements are by the Colyer Funeral Home and condolences may be sent to www.colyerfuneralhome.com.
Jack was born Sept. 10, 1950, in Wichita Falls, Texas to parents Col. James K. Gibson Sr. and Merne Joan Gibson. Being born into a military family, he had the opportunity to live in many different places.
As a child, he loved baseball and he played everywhere the family was stationed. Jack’s passion for photography, which would become his lifelong profession and legacy, began at a very early age. At ten years old, his family moved to Okinawa, Japan when his father was stationed there as a pilot. His father was always snapping photos and it was there that Jack first picked up a camera and experienced the magic of a dark room. He also discovered a passion for scuba diving and was lucky enough at the age of ten, for he and his brother Jim to be trained to dive by his father’s friends and teammates, Seal Team, Green Beret and Pathfinder Special Ops troops. It was also here that Jack fell in love with the tropical island life. I would daresay his iconic affinity for flip flops and Hawaiian shirts started there as well.
Jack attended the University of Colorado from 1968 to 1970 when he joined the US Navy. He spent time aboard a WWII Class Destroyer the USS De Haven (DD-727). Aboard the USS De Haven, Jack was deployed to Vietnam for ten months. He reminisced in true Jack fashion about the dichotomy of watching the movie Woodstock and hear peace and love, then look to the left and see a gun mount. After returning to San Diego, California in 1971, he applied to the US Navy School of Photography in Pensacola, Florida to become a Navy photographer.
Between acceptance to photography school and it’s start, he was assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk where he worked in the photo lab. After graduating, he was stationed a Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia.
While working the studio, Jack and his colleagues photographed (as well as processed the photos) of Navy officers, admirals, award recipients and other armed forces members. In 1974, Jack left the Navy and turned his love of photography into a profession.
He began his career as a professional photographer in Lingle. After a year, he moved his business to Torrington, and had the building built (and stills stands today) that housed Gibson Studios from 1975 until 2020, when after forty-five years of business, the studio was closed for the final time. In addition to building his photography business, serving the citizens of Goshen County and beyond, Jack joined the Navy Reserves in 1977 to continue to serve his country. He eventually moved to the Wyoming Army National Guard for three years and then the Wyoming Air National Guard for fourteen years. He retired with a combined total of twenty-three years.
During his time as a professional photographer, Jack received state, regional and national recognition as an award-winning photographer. He was president of the Wyoming Professional Photographers Association at least one year and a board member for approximately four years. He received Wyoming’s Photographer of the Year Award more than once as well. He was beloved by his community and took great pride in his work.
His goal when photographing any subject was to create a photograph that showed each person in his or her best light (literally and figuratively). He captured moments, personalities, feelings and events with an eye for the important details, the special details. His wry sense of humor and patience brought out the best in all of his subjects.
“Chin up” could be heard being said patiently by him from the first time he said it to the 45th time he said it. Jack has been a pillar in the Goshen County Community since 1975.
“One, two, three, and eyes right here.”
Jack only had one passion deeper than his passion for photography and that was for his wife, Debbie Gibson, who he always described as the best thing that ever happened to him. His abiding love for her will no doubt continue beyond the boundaries of death.
Jack is survived by his wife, Debbie Gibson; brother, Jim Gibson Jr.; sister, Tracie (Doug) Patrick; brother, Jerry (Beth) Gibson; children, Olivia (Mike) Gallegos; and Mark Harris; as well as three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Tarrie Goddard, and his parents.
