TIFTON – Thomas Upshaw Gibson, 88, longtime resident of the Chula community, died Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla.  

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Monday in the chapel of Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors, with the Rev. Larry Layfield officiating. Burial will follow at Tift Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors.  

Frankie McNair, Doug Gibson, Danny Gibson, Mike Gibson, Brian Gibson and Alan Gibson will serve as pallbearers. 

Born Feb. 23, 1921, in Tift County to the late Franklin Gibson and Gertrude Harris Gibson, Mr. Gibson was also preceded in death by his wife, Judy Stephens Gibson, who died in 2006, and one brother, Charles Gibson. 

Mr. Gibson had lived most of his life in Chula, where he retired from Gibson Electric. He served in the U. S. Army Air Force in World War II in the Pacific installing communication poles. Mr. Tom and Mrs. Judy had been married for 59 years. He loved to fish and hunt and he loved to eat sweets. Mr. Gibson was a member of the American Legion for 54 years, and he ran the Bingo games at the Coastal Plains Fair for 38 years. He had a generous heart, always willing to help people in need.  

Mr. Gibson is survived by his children, Judy Dale and Rocky Lott of Chula, Buster Shinall, Faye and Jr. Cannon and Jimmy Shinall, all of Cross City, Fla., Ricky Shinall of High Springs, Fla., Gail Shinall of Covington and Marie and Billy Howard of Greer, S.C.; his grandchildren, Brandon and Dolores Lott, Deke and Brandy Lott and Rosha and Jason Layfield; and his great-grandchildren, Millie, Lannie and Kason Layfield, Zekeial Lott, Kevin Joacsin and Zoey Holmes; his brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Lawsona Gibson of Brunswick and Dan and Maxine Gibson of Chula; and his sister, Minnie Lee McNair of Forest Park. 

Flowers will be accepted, or donations may be made to a favorite charity. 

You may sign the guest registry at www.albritton-beaumontfuneralhome.com.

Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.