John L. Giberson

Although his life ended much too soon, John Giberson made a significant impact in the lives of everyone he met. He was goodnatured and hardworking with a heart for reaching out to others throughout his life. A devoted family man, John experienced so many of the best things that life has to offer, but what made these things truly extraordinary was sharing them with the ones he loved. Later in life he was thrilled to become a grandfather, and some of his best memories were made at the family cottage in Gun Lake. John had an adventurous side, too, and as his family and friends can attest, his sense of humor was contagious. Life will never be the same without him here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that will be carried on by those who follow in his footsteps. It seems only fitting that Johns journey began during a time that was as vibrant as he was. It was the Nifty Fifties when Elvis Presley took the music world by storm with his rock n roll music, and Jerry Lee Lewis captivated audiences setting fire to more than one piano. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was underway, and by the end of the decade we had added Alaska and Hawaii as our 49th and 50th states. Amidst this eventful time was a time of great anticipation for John and Margaret (Smith) Giberson as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new baby as spring covered the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in all her beauty in 1950. The big day finally arrived when the baby boy they named John Louis drew his first breath on May 26th. He was the youngest of three boys in his family, and there was quite a spread between the three Giberson boys as his oldest brother, Larry, was 15 years older than he was while his brother, Bill, was five years his senior. Johns father worked as an architect while his mother was a busy homemaker. While John was growing up his brother, Bill, was in a serious car accident leaving John to help care for him at times. In many ways, John was a young boy of his generation. As a young teen they traveled out to California, and he wanted to see all the music towers along the way. John was about 15 when his father died, which left just he and his mother at home. It was just a short time after his father died that he lied about his age and got a job at a radio station. From there his love for radio continued to take root. In fact, when he was a teen, his mom came home to find that John had strung wire through the neighborhood and started his own radio station! He even gave out their home phone number to take requests! While a student at Creston High, John was always the DJ at various school activities. He went on to graduate from high school in 1968. With a passion for radio, John made a career in the industry. He soon became known as John Alan, which stuck with him throughout his career. Over the years he worked at WLAV, WGRD, and WMUS. John Alan loved being on the radio, and he loved the people he got to see. Among his favorite celebrities were Van Halen and Rick Flare, and he was also thrilled that he was able to announce at a wrestling match. A wealth of knowledge, John was known to have radio trivia ready at any moment, and he loved seeing who could name the song first the label the artist. It was while working at WMUS that John met the woman of his dreams. Her name was Carole, and they met when she came in as a volunteer to answer phones during a pledge drive to support cancer. A couple of weeks later, Carole called in to the radio station to request a song. He recognized her voice and told her to hang on. They then started talking and soon fell in love. With a desire to establish a life together, Carole and John were married on July 12, 1980. To their marriage Carole brought her two children, Aaron and Patricia. Although John had told Carole he didnt like children, his attitude soon changed and he grew into the part of being a parent. John would always listen to the children, was a good provider, and was a role model who was part dad and part friend. John and Carole initially lived in Montague, but after Aaron graduated from high school they moved to Houston, Texas, where John got a job. They remained there for 13 years before moving back to Michigan, settling in Lowell. They later moved back to Whitehall. When the children were at home John and Carole enjoyed traveling out to California as a family to visit relatives and also going whitewater rafting. He and his wife loved going to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side and also visiting Mammoth Cave. Saturday nights usually found them at Berlin Raceway with the children as John loved stock car racing. As a NASCAR fan, his favorite driver was Dale Earnhardt. John loved flying the plane that he built, he was a dog lover who had several dogs as faithful companions over the years including his most recent dog, Frank. Additionally, John attended New Era Christian Reformed Church. Soon after retiring, John had even more time for pursuing his dreams. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and his family, especially at the cottage in Cobb Lake. Johns love for radio remained, and he was thrilled to bring his longtime dream of starting his own radio station after buying a house on a hill in Whitehall and starting Real Gold Radio WAXT 98.9. He brought a fellow retiree on board, and together they filled the airwaves with John working well into the night at times as both a broadcast engineer and as a DJ. He always enjoyed music from the sixties and seventies, and he also played music from the early eighties. John also liked watching wildlife out in his yard and watching old movies. After spending only a few moments with John Giberson, it was easy to see that he was a lover of life. Described as a clown who was a people person with a generous spirit and a warm heart, everyone loved him from the moment they met him. A devoted family man, loyal friend, and vibrant part of his community, John will be forever missed. John Louis Giberson died on Friday, April 24, 2015. Johns family includes his wife, Carole; son, Aaron Troost; daughter, Patricia (Brad) Kowalski; grandchildren, Preston & Peyton Kowalski; mother-in-law, Harriet Kuipers; sisters-in-law, Janet Giberson, Jan (Donald) Pottoff, Marjorie Kuipers, Ellen (Mark) Mulder; brothers-in-law, N. Joel (Chris) Kuipers, Abe (Tammy) Kuipers along with several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. John was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Larry (Joyce) Giberson, William Giberson. Services will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, 11:00 a.m. at New Era Christian Reformed Church with Rev. George Mossel officiating. Visit with Johns family and friends on Monday, April 27, 2015, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions can be made to Real Gold Radio - WAXT 98.9. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.