Edward Woodrow Gibson, Jr.
Mr. Edward Woodrow Gibson, Jr., age 83, of Covington, died Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Woodlands Health and Rehab, Clifton Forge.
Mr. Gibson was born June 21, 1939, in Covington, the son of the late Edward Woodrow Gibson, Sr. and Beatrice Fridley Gibson. After graduating from Covington High School in 1956, Ed served his country as a member of the United States Army for six years before continuing to serve in the reserves.
Following his enlistment, Mr. Gibson chose to further his education by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Finance from the University of Virginia’s McEntire School of Commerce, Class of 1964. Throughout the years, Ed continued his education by becoming a 1974 graduate of the UVA School of Bank Management and later a 1982 graduate of Rutgers University School of Banking. During his working career, he was employed as a vice president of the First National Exchange Bank of Virginia, assistant vice president of First Union/Wachovia for over thirty years, assistant vice president of Wells Fargo Bank as well as bank manager, vice president and chief executive officer of both the Clifton Forge and Eagle Rock branches of First Citizens Bank. Following his retirement from the banking industry, Ed worked as a substitute teacher in the Alleghany County School System from 1999 until 2015.
Mr. Gibson was a member of McAllister Memorial Presbyterian Church for over seventy-three years. Active in the church, he served as an elder, clerk of session, auditor for the church, and trustee, and was a Sunday school teacher for the Fellowship Life and Happy Fellowship classes for a number of years. Ed was honored to be asked by the Scott family to organize and establish the Scott Scholarship Fund in 1998 and was proud that over thirty members of the church had been recipients in the past twenty-plus years.
Active in local civic affairs, Mr. Gibson loved this community and serving its residents. He was past president and vice president of the Covington Kiwanis and past president of the Covington Jaycees where he was given the 1970 Young Man of the Year award. Mr. Gibson was a past president of the Covington-West Alleghany County chapter of the American Cancer Society and was on the board of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce where he helped to set up their annual golf tournament. Ed was a past member of the Board of Directors of Alleghany Regional Hospital and was on the committee to build a new hospital in Low Moor which then opened in 1979. He had also been the treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the Covington-Alleghany County United Fund. Mr. Gibson enjoyed helping local senior citizens by volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program. He was also a member of the Covington Moose Lodge #610 L.O.O.M. for forty-eight years.
Ed was highly interested in and involved with local youth programs. Mr. Gibson was on the Board of Directors for the State of Virginia YMCA for thirty years. During that time, he worked on fundraising for the program as well as the initial start of the YMCA at Boys Home. He was also a coach for the former Covington Little League program for eleven years.
A longtime supporter of his alma mater, the University of Virginia, Mr. Gibson was a fifty-year alumni member, a lifetime member of the Jefferson Society of Alumni and a University of Virginia season ticket holder for a number of years. He truly loved watching his beloved University of Virginia Cavaliers play football.
In his spare time, Mr. Gibson’s favorite activity was walking on the trails at Petticoat Junction. He enjoyed hunting and was a member of the Scottland Hunt Club in West Augusta, VA for thirty-five years. Ed also enjoyed playing golf and belonged to Cliffview Country Club as well as the Botetourt Country Club for many years.
Mr. Gibson is survived by a son, Edward Woodrow Gibson, III of Oakwood, GA; a grandson, John Edward Gibson of Flowery Branch, GA; a sister-in-law, Betty W. Gibson of Covington; a niece, April Gibson Reyns and husband, Frank of Covington; nephew, Gerald W. Gibson, Jr. of Covington; great nephew, Derek Gibson; great nieces, Katie Gibson, Adrienne Reynolds and husband, Daniel, Mahaley Broughman and husband, Holden and Rachel Reyns.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Gibson was preceded in death by a brother, Gerald Wayne Gibson, Sr., and a niece, Stacey Nicole Gibson.
A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, April 30, 2023, at McAllister Memorial Presbyterian Church with Rev. Jim Moss officiating. Interment will follow in Lone Star Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Rick Casey, Ray Fridley, Frank Reyns, Larry Fridley, Steve Shifflett, Jack Burch, Holden Broughman, Derek Gibson and Gerald Gibson.
The honorary pallbearers will be Harry Casey, B.A. Fridley, Jr. and Jim Faidley.
The family will receive friends Saturday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Loving Funeral Home.
Arrangements are being handled by Loving Funeral Home; to view Mr. Gibson’s memorial tribute pages, please visit www.lovingfuneralhome1913.com.