Services were held last weekend for Frank Gibbs of Allamuchy, a retired farmer and pillar of his community, who had served as joint master of the Spring Valley Hounds.
Mr. Gibbs, 82, is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan (Henry), whom he met when they were members of their 4-H horse club.
After studying animal husbandry at Cornell University, Mr. Gibbs co-owned and operated Gibbs Farms with his brother, the late James Gibbs, and subsequently with his sons in operating Gibbs Quest. As the third generation to run the family farm, Mr. Gibbs was a lifelong member of his community, located in the heart of Allamuchy’s valley.
Frank Gibbs with the Spring Valley Hounds. (Spring Valley photo by Charles Frase)
He was an active participant in community and civic life, serving as vice president of the Allamuchy Township Board of Education, chairman of the Allamuchy Township Planning Board, founding member of the Allamuchy-Green Rescue Squad, a member of the Allamuchy Historical Society, a founding member of the Friends of Rutherfurd Hall and member of its Key Communicators Committee and Wednesday volunteer group. He was also a Sunday School teacher and Trustee of Tranquility United Methodist Church, a member of Panther Valley Ecumenical Church and its finance committee, chairman of the Warren County Holstein Association, president of the New Jersey Holstein Association, president of NEDCO (Northeast Dairy Cooperative), a member of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, a member of the Warren County Agriculture Development Board (New Jersey Farmland Preservation), a member of the Ridge & Valley Conservancy, and a volunteer with Global Volunteer.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Gibbs is survived by his sons, Brant, and his wife, Cristiana Cooke-Gibbs and Keith and his wife Maryann Gibbs; his daughter, Jama, and her husband David Toung, eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. In addition, he is survived by a brother, Clifford W. Gibbs and his wife, Ruth Gibbs, as well as sisters-in-law Barbara Trought, Jane Gibbs, and Mavis Gibbs.He was pre-deceased by brothers James C. and Robert G. Gibbs; brother-in-law George Trought, and nephew Jack Gibbs.
Mr. Gibbs enjoyed adventure travel, preferably on horseback with family and friends. He rode western and English and was equally at home on a pack trip in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, rounding up cattle and horses, leading a trail ride up Allamuchy Mountain and hunting the hounds in the hills and valleys of Morris, Warren, and Sussex Counties.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made in his memory to Rutherfurd Hall, 1686 Route 517, PO Box 453, Allamuchy, NJ 07820