John Gibner

Although his life was filled with numerous enriching experiences, there was nothing that made the eyes of John Gibner sparkle more than being surrounded by his loved ones. He was a man of honor and integrity who was well respected in his work, in his community, and in his family. It was easy to see that John adored his daughter, and he has been described as Carol Lees life coach and hero as well as a super hero to his beloved grandsons, Bryant and Grant. Guided by an unwavering faith throughout his lifes journey, he was ever mindful of others and had a zest for life that drew others near with ease. Life will never be the same without John here, but his memory will forever hold a special place in the hearts of all who were blessed to know and love him. During the first part of the 1900, American families struggled with with their daily lives. It was during this eventful time that John and Suzanna (Olah) Gyebnar, Jr. experienced a time of great celebration in their lives with the birth of a baby boy on August 23, 1916. Born and raised in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, John was the second of six children in his family and was raised in the family home on Reynolds Street alongside his older brother, Alec, and his younger siblings, Duke, Ernie, Hazel, and Shirley. His father worked hard selling insurance for Hungarian Reformed Federation, working in the factory at Continental Motors, and also as the owner of Gyebnar Grocery on Catawba Street. His mother was a seamstress for Amazon Corp, took boarders into their home, worked in the grocery store, and assisted with the insurance. The Gyebnar family was a close knit group, and John and his brother, Alec, had a special relationship that made Alecs death at a young age a struggle for John to overcome. The family worked as a team throughout the challenging days of the Great Depression as chores were necessary, and things like paper routes were needed to help bring in some extra money. Visiting relatives in Toledo and getting together with extended family for outdoor fun were both priorities as well. As a family the Gyebnars were an active in the Hungarian Hall where they participated with plays, musicals and harvest festivals. From the time he was a young boy John was a bustle of activity. He loved being outside with other neighborhood kids and cousins, and taking part in boxing matches in the ring his father built. John attended Muskegon Heights Public Schools, and like the other members of the family graduated from high school with honors in 1933. He continued his education at a trade school for drafting and mechanical drawing for two years. It was while cruising for chicks in 1936 that John received an invitation to meet with a group of girls, which would forever change the course of his life. Fate allowed him to meet, dance, and court the young Josephine Jo Kramer of Gilbert, Minnesota, and the couple soon fell deeply in love. On June 29, 1938, John and Jo became husband and wife, and together they welcomed their daughter, Carol Lee, into their hearts and home in 1942. The family called their house on Roosevelt Road in Roosevelt Park home for a time and later moved to Sherwood Court in Beachwood and then to a home on Beach Street, also located in Beachwood. John was an amazing father who was an active part of his daughters life. There was never a moment in her life that she did not feel his love and support, and she will forever cherish memories of watching parades while perched on her fathers shoulders and learning to dance on top of his feet. Johns career was spent working as an engineer technician and troubleshooter at Kaydon Corp for 38 years before retiring in 1985. During his last 10 years with Kaydon he traveled extensively throughout the United States and Mexico. Despite finding his work rewarding, John treasured the time he had to spend at home with his family. Most Sunday afternoons found them taking a drive, perhaps taking in a movie at the Michigan Theater, and stopping for an ice cream cone. Once they got home they often listened to The Shadow Knows on the radio. Over the Fourth of July they traveled to Minnesota to visit family, which they greatly looked forward to, and they also took trips to Niagara Falls, four different national parks, and to California, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Since John loved music and dancing, they also attended a musical in Chicago every year. Whether he was making stilts for every kid in the neighborhood in Roosevelt Park, managing the Hungarian Hall, or meticulously caring for his yard, John was always doing something. In fact, he was so particular about his lawn that all weeds were the enemy and needed to be destroyed. One season John was so upset with his lawns appearance that he burned it all out, brought in new black dirt, and reseeded with Kentucky blue grass. He also eradicated every chipmunk that set foot on his property and had a contest between himself and his neighbor to see who could relocate more each spring. A self taught contractor, John was the go-to guy and built many homes in the area. No matter what needed repair, he could tell you how to fix it - or just take care of it for you! John was an active and involved member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church since 1991 where he was known as the guy who gave out all the hugs. Devoted to his community, John was involved in the Kaydon Credit Union where he served as treasurer for 28 years, and he was also an officer for the Moon Chapter Credit Union. After retiring John continued to embrace both the peaks and valleys that came his way. He had even more time to devote to lawn maintenance, taking care of home projects for family and friends, and traveling to his sisters in Tennessee for Thanksgiving, Branson, Los Angeles, and Nashville. John was very involved with his grandsons in the everyday things of life like taking them to preschool, the park, out riding bikes, and being there for every single one of their baseball games. He was also the master of setting up swing sets and Star War toys. Although John was deeply saddened with Jos death in 1991, he was blessed to find love again with Bess Haapalainen whom he married in 1992 and spent 10 wonderful years with. An avid sports enthusiast, John closely followed the Detroit Tigers and both Michigan teams. With a life that spanned nearly a century, there was no one who met John Gibner and left unchanged. He was completely devoted to his family, his friends, and all who were within his reach. John will be deeply missed and forever remembered. John J. Gibner died Sunday, April 20, 2014. Johns family includes his daughter, Carol Meyers of Muskegon; grandchildren, Bryant Meyers of FL and Grant Meyers of CA; brother, Ernest Gibner of Muskegon; sister, Shirley (Gene) Fischer of TN. John was preceded in death by his parents; both wives; brothers, Duke & Grace, Alex Gyebnar; sister, Hazel & Carl Howell. Services will be held on Saturday, June 7, 2014, 2:00 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. Interment at Mona View Cemetery. Memorials can be made to Our Savior's Lutheran Church Memorial Fund. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory.