Isabelle Gibbs

Isabelle Howe Gibbs died peacefully in her home on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at age 88, 8 months, and one day. She was the blessed and loving wife of William Bryan Gibbs, who predeceased her in March, 1990. She is survived by her two daughters, Carolyn Gibbs of Burlington, NC, and Maryellen Gibbs of Cohasset, Massachusetts. Her third daughter, Margaret Gibbs, died on the eleventh day after her birth in 1963. Isabelle always said that she had three children, one of whom was already in heaven. Isabelle is also survived by one brother, William Lawrence Howe, and his wife, Elizabeth, of Flat Rock, NC. Other surviving relatives include her brother-in-law, C. Leon Gibbs of Clemson, SC and his six children, her sister-in-law, Mrs. Eugene S. Joanna Gibbs of Reidsville, NC and her six children, and Mrs. Florence D. Nikki Howe of Illinois and three Howe children. Isabelle Howe was born October 20, 1922 in Watertown, Massachusetts, to William Lawrence and Ernestine Packard Howe. Her childhood memories of being raised on Marshall Street are familiar to her daughters, family, and friends. Isabelle was a top scholar, played bass drum in the Drum and Bugle Corps from ages 10 to 15, and graduated from Watertown High School at age 17. During her adolescence, Isabelle enjoyed Girl Scouting and summer camps. As the daughter of an alumna from Simmons College now University in Boston, MA, Isabelle Howe earned a partial scholarship. During her college summers, Isabelle worked to pay tuition as part of the highly trained resort wait staff in the Sagamore Hotel, Bolton's Landing, Lake George, New York. She graduated summa cum laude and received a degree in Home Economics, specializing in institutional food management in June 1944, when she was hired immediately by Simmons College. Isabelle was recruited by Duke University in 1945 where until 1952 she managed several campus dining halls, kitchen staff, and student wait staff in order to feed nearly 3, 000 each day in her seven year career. Isabelle rode the bus daily with her kitchen staff and enjoyed hearing them sing spirituals a cappella because the staff was happy working with her. Bryan Gibbs, a Duke mechanical engineering student, noticed her beauty and brains, and mutual friends introduced them. After five years of dating, they married and settled in Burlington, NC, where they honored God in their marriage, family, church and community. Isabelle Gibbs enthusiastically became a wife and homemaker spending many hours in the Remnant Shop then created custom sewn and knitted clothing for herself, her husband, her girls, and many others. Dozens of hand knit baby booties were given to mothers for their newborns. Isabelle met many bridge playing ladies and delightedly played with several bridge clubs for over 50 years. Isabelle's love for needlework began early in her life, and she became a member of the Burlington-Alamance County Needlepoint Guild. Some of her work can be admired in the homes of her families, guild and bridge friends, at Alamance Historical Museum plaid mills display, Grace United Methodist Church, Front Street UMC, May Memorial Library, in several churches in the mountains near Valle Crucis, and in England. Isabelle and Bryan Gibbs were charter members of Grace Methodist Church where she served two times as president of the Women's Society, was a District and Conference officer, was secretary of missionary education, served during the merger with the United Brethren Church, taught missionary studies in five areas of Burlington UMC District, and served on numerous church committees. Isabelle earned a UMC Study Jewel. Recognizing the need for a Girl Scout troop in east Burlington, Isabelle became Leader of Troop #364 to Brownie, Junior and Cadet Scouts with trips to Washington, DC by bus and train, plus several thrilling camping trips. Under Mrs. Gibbs's Troop leadership and guidance, many young girls learned the varied skills of making up a miter-cornered bed, perfectly ironing a shirt, writing gracious thank-you notes, and cooking a non-stick egg with toast on a coffee can in the woods, among many other priceless skills. Isabelle Gibbs also noticed the need for volunteers at Alamance County Hospital where she was a charter volunteer member for the hospital Shop Cart. Mrs. Gibbs was responsible for purchasing, keeping books and tax reports, stocking, and pushing the Shop Cart to patients. In 1970 to help put her daughters through college, Isabelle Gibbs began working as an office manager at Mebane Packaging Corporation where she worked until she retired in 1988. Isabelle and her husband Bryan loved traveling and supporting the Imperial and Heisey glass museums. Isabelle and Bryan's love of travel began early in their marriage when they eloped to South Carolina; the family traveled every year enjoying nearly all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. A Memorial Service honoring and celebrating the life of Mrs. Isabelle Howe Gibbs will be held on July 16, 2011, at 3:00 P.M. in the sanctuary of Grace United Methodist Church. Mrs. Isabelle Howe Gibbs requested that memorials be sent to Grace United Methodist Church, 1899 Wilkins Street, Burlington, NC 27217 and Hospice of Alamance-Caswell, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215, instead of flowers.