Robert H. "Bob" Gibble

Robert H. Gibble, 91, of Lititz, PA, passed away June 3, 2017 at Moravian Manor in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

Bob was born in Deodate, PA to Noah W. Gibble and Mabel Mae (Heagy) Gibble on April 21, 1926. He attended school in Manheim Township where his family were tenant farmers, quitting school after the 8th grade to work on the family farm.

Bob is a veteran of WWII. In 1944, he went through basic training at Camp Blanding Florida, where he won his Expert Infantryman Badge, and was deployed to the South Pacific. He was stationed at the AFWESPAC Engineer School near Clark Air Base in the Philippine Islands, where he was a Tech Sergeant in charge of the motor pool. After the war, Bob learned the trade of plumbing while working for A. K. Mann Tobacco in Lancaster, eventually becoming a Master Plumber. Around this time, he also discovered the Endless Mountains in Sullivan County, PA where he and his buddies built a cabin. He would later introduce his brother and friends to the beauty and splendor of the area.

In 1950, he met his wife Joanne Sullenberger at a dance at the Rocky Springs Ball Room. They were married in 1952. That same year, he and his brother Elwood founded Gibble Bros. Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning in Neffsville, which they ran with great success for 35 years. He later was employed by Neffsville Plumbing, which bought the business.

Community service was important to Bob. He served as a Warwick Township Supervisor for six years during the 1960’s. It was during this time that he and the other supervisors planned and constructed the first Warwick Township Municipal building located on Clay Road and established the first Warwick Township Police force.

An active member of Lititz Church of the Brethren, he was a member of the Friendship Class and served six years on the Fellowship and Recreation Commission and six years on the Property Commission. He played a key role in establishing Boy Scout Troop 154 which met at the church and remained an active leader in Scouting all the years his sons were involved. One year as a group leader, he led a troop of scouts on the 12-day hike through the Philmont Boy Scout Reservation, a rugged wilderness located in the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico.

A dedicated Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, Bob was a 49-year member of the Lititz Rotary Club and was part of the committee that conceived and established the successful Lititz Craft Show.

Bob was also a huge supporter of AFS International, a student exchange organization through which his son Tom went to Germany. He opened his home to countless international students throughout the years, many of whom still consider him as their second dad.

He enjoyed socializing, traveling, golfing and snowmobiling with his family and their close-knit group of family friends. He was an avid hunter and enjoyed going to his cabin in Sullivan county. He also traveled to Germany many times and was beloved by the friends he made there. In later years, he loved boating and spending time at his son Steve’s house on the Delaware bay.

Bob will be remembered for his good humor, joy for life, and great stories of his very real adventures. He had the uncanny gift of being able to fix anything, anywhere, given the materials he had at hand. He was an uncomplicated man who worked hard, played hard, knew how to have fun, and loved his family, friends, community, and country deeply.

Bob is survived by his wife Jo of 65 years; and two sons Stephen R. Gibble of Mt. Gretna and Thomas S. Gibble and his partner Larry Burns, of Lancaster.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Noah and Mabel Gibble; two brothers Kenneth and Elwood Gibble; and three sisters Alta Mae (Smith), Helen (Keener) and an infant sister Ruth.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Moravian Manor and its staff for their kind love and care to Bob during his final years and days.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Bob’s funeral service at the Lititz Church of the Brethren, 300 West Orange Street, Lititz, on Friday, June 9, 2017 at 11:00 AM. There will be a viewing at the church on Friday morning from 10:00 AM until the time of the service. Burial will follow the service at the Lititz Moravian Cemetery, with a reception to follow at the Lititz Church of the Brethren. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Bob’s memory to Moravian Manor 300 West Lemon Street, Lititz, PA 17543.