Diane (Withrow) Gibson
August 19, 1942 — November 11, 2019
Diane (Withrow) Gibson, 77, of Coralville, Iowa, died Monday, November 11, 2019. Visitation: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 29, 2019, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Funeral Service: 12:00 p.m. Saturday, November 30, 2019, at Coralville United Methodist Church with Reverend Leigh Brown officiating. Burial will take place at a later date at Ridgewood Cemetery in North Liberty, Iowa.
Diane was born on August 19, 1942, in Ottumwa, Iowa, the daughter of Wanda “Glee” (Henderson) Withrow and Earl “Bud” Withrow, Jr. She attended Ottumwa High School, graduating in 1960 in the top 10% of her class of 400 students. Diane attended one semester at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. She was united in marriage to Jerry Gibson on June 16, 1961, at First Presbyterian Church in Ottumwa. Diane and Jerry resided in Panama City, Florida, and Memphis, Tennessee, while he completed his professional education. The couple later moved to Ottumwa where they resided for 27 years.
Diane was accomplished in many areas. She overcame her fear of flying by learning to fly. She was well versed in the genealogy of English Cocker Spaniels and had many finished English Cocker Champions. Diane was a long time member of The English Cocker Spaniel Club of America. She was one of the principal leaders in starting a no kill rescue shelter for dogs and cats, serving as the first President of Heartland Humane Society in Ottumwa, Iowa. Diane enjoyed reading, especially about nutrition and cooking. She loved reading mysteries and collecting all the works of her favorite authors. She was an excellent interior decorator and enjoyed collecting many different types of dishes and glassware. She enjoyed trying new cooking recipes and creating her own. Diane also sewed and designed her own quilting patterns. Diane nurtured many indoor plants and flowers; in particular, her favorite orchid. Diane and family were active in the Rotary Student Exchange program in Ottumwa and hosted several students that included; Norway, New Zealand, Peru Australia, and India. She helped start a gymnastic program at the YMCA in Ottumwa by hosting a college gymnast who taught for the summer. She served as a long time Secretary/Treasurer of a food coop in Ottumwa.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry; sons, Philip, David (Robin) and Matthew (Andria) Gibson; five grandchildren, Ashley (Keegan) Doremus and Kurtis, Adam, Isabella and Vivian Gibson; five great-grandchildren, Zak, Lilly, Noah, Connor, and Mason; and former daughter-in-law, Sharon Engel.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Wanda Withrow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Diane’s memory may be directed to Coralville United Methodist Church, Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Diane was born on August 19, 1942, in Ottumwa, Iowa, the daughter of Wanda “Glee” (Henderson) Withrow and Earl “Bud” Withrow, Jr. She attended Ottumwa High School, graduating in 1960 in the top 10% of her class of 400 students. Diane attended one semester at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. She was united in marriage to Jerry Gibson on June 16, 1961, at First Presbyterian Church in Ottumwa. Diane and Jerry resided in Panama City, Florida, and Memphis, Tennessee, while he completed his professional education. The couple later moved to Ottumwa where they resided for 27 years.
Diane was accomplished in many areas. She overcame her fear of flying by learning to fly. She was well versed in the genealogy of English Cocker Spaniels and had many finished English Cocker Champions. Diane was a long time member of The English Cocker Spaniel Club of America. She was one of the principal leaders in starting a no kill rescue shelter for dogs and cats, serving as the first President of Heartland Humane Society in Ottumwa, Iowa. Diane enjoyed reading, especially about nutrition and cooking. She loved reading mysteries and collecting all the works of her favorite authors. She was an excellent interior decorator and enjoyed collecting many different types of dishes and glassware. She enjoyed trying new cooking recipes and creating her own. Diane also sewed and designed her own quilting patterns. Diane nurtured many indoor plants and flowers; in particular, her favorite orchid. Diane and family were active in the Rotary Student Exchange program in Ottumwa and hosted several students that included; Norway, New Zealand, Peru Australia, and India. She helped start a gymnastic program at the YMCA in Ottumwa by hosting a college gymnast who taught for the summer. She served as a long time Secretary/Treasurer of a food coop in Ottumwa.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry; sons, Philip, David (Robin) and Matthew (Andria) Gibson; five grandchildren, Ashley (Keegan) Doremus and Kurtis, Adam, Isabella and Vivian Gibson; five great-grandchildren, Zak, Lilly, Noah, Connor, and Mason; and former daughter-in-law, Sharon Engel.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Wanda Withrow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Diane’s memory may be directed to Coralville United Methodist Church, Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
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