Robert F. Gibson

We regret to inform the passing of Robert (“Bob”) F. Gibson, age 77, of Broughton, PA, on May 29, 2024. Born Aug. 11, 1946, Bob lived the entirety of his life on the Gibson family farm, part of the original Curry farms established by Joseph Curry and wife Jane Finley Curry at the turn of the 19th century. Bob was a devoted husband for 48 years to Marlene Gibson, a tireless and loving father to Karen (Ryuji Kusumoto) Gibson and Joseph Gibson, and beloved grandpa to Harry, Jack, and Clara Gibson. He is also survived by his sister Carol Gibson (Glenn) Pryzyborski, nephew John (Laura Stack) Pryzyborski, and niece Lisa (Patick) O'Brian. He was preceded in death by his mother Ruth Frey Gibson and father Frank Curry Gibson, as well as his great-aunt Audrey Frey and grandparents Alfred Peter Frey, Edna Dauenhauer Frey Evans, Francis Snee Gibson, and Eliza Jane (“Jennie”) Curry Gibson. Trained as a nuclear physicist, he spent fifteen years developing data acquisition systems used for mine safety testing at the U.S. Bureau of Mines, including his position as President of the 35-employee company, Keystone Computer Resources, from 1988-1994. Following his departure from the Bureau, he worked as a systems engineer in process automation at Tippins Steel Co. and in large scale power conversion at Cegelec, Alstom, Converteam, and G.E. His time at G.E. culminated in his work automating the control systems for the Navy destroyer project DDG-1000, including the USS Zumwalt. In retirement, he enjoyed activities with the Washington County Farm Bureau and his semi-weekly trips to get hay at the Henderson farm. Aficionado of absurd humor and cheesy movies, he adored regaling others with lines from Monty Python, inventing unappetizing ingredients for pretend foods, playing practical jokes with rubber spiders and lizards, and watching the original Kaiju (Godzilla) movies. We will forever remember his general brilliance, penchant for unconventional and innovative ideas, rigid adherence to tradition, generosity of spirit, love for his farm and his family, and his tremendous appreciation of beauty in the natural world, wherever he found it, often in the finest details. Visitation services: Tuesday, June 4, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., and the funeral: Wednesday, June 5, at 11:00 a.m., will be held at Griffith Funeral Home, 5636 Brownsville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, (412) 655-4600. In lieu of flowers, donations to Carnegie Mellon University, Mellon College of Science, in memory of Robert F. Gibson (S ’68), are requested. Online donations may be made at cmu.edu/give. Checks may be sent to: Carnegie Mellon University, P.O. Box 371525, Pittsburgh PA 15251-7525.

Robert F. Gibson

August 11, 1946 - May 29, 2024