On February 18, 2021, Phillip passed away at home. He was a family man, married to his wife Jane for 47 years, a proud and supportive father to Jennifer and P.J., and a fun “Grumps” to his grandchildren Parks and Ava. We rest in the assurance that he is in the arms of his Lord through the grace of his Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Phillip was born on November 7, 1952, to Chester H. Gibbons and Annie Merle Doss Gibbons.  His early years were spent in Belview Heights where he was active in Central Park Baptist Church and attended Charles A. Brown Elementary.  In his young teen years his family moved to the Bluff Park area of Birmingham. Phillip graduated from W. A. Berry High School.  

Phillip enjoyed sports from an early age and excelled at baseball and golf.  He carried his love of sports into adulthood where he coached little league baseball in Helena, for more than 10 years and organized the first adult men’s softball league for Helena United Methodist Church.  He also enjoyed playing golf and poker with his friends. 

Phillip began his career at Moore Handley while simultaneously serving in the Army Reserves. The next step in his career was working as an office furniture salesman at Zac Smith Stationery Company.  He went on to have his own company, Gibbons Office Furniture, with his father. He ended his career at Executive Office Service in Homewood.  Through the years he had great co-workers and customers that he truly enjoyed.

Phillip and Jane moved their young family to Helena in the early 1980s where they planted deep roots and developed everlasting friendships. Many of these friends also volunteered with the little league ball and became loosely organized as the D.M.S., Driveway Meeting Society, which, after coaching baseball on Tuesday nights, would gather weekly in Phillip’s driveway for fellowship and conversation.  Phillip always brought a smile to the face of those he was with and was always the life of the party.

Phillip was preceded in death by his parents, Chester H. and Annie Merle Doss Gibbons, his brother Gerry W. Gibbons, and sister-in-law Lisa Sloan Gibbons.  

Phillip is survived by his loving wife Jane Dodge Gibbons; his daughter Jennifer Gibbons Harris (Brandon) and their children Robert Parks and Ava Elizabeth; his son Phillip H. Gibbons, Jr., his sister Patricia Gibbons Waters (Gregory); his niece Blakeley Waters Clark (Will), children Mia, Jack, and Sam; his nephew Gregory Neal Waters II (Jenna), children Madison, Harper, and Hazon; his nieces Lauren Rachel Gibbons and Catherine Sloan Gibbons; his sister-in-law Tammy McCarty Gibbons; several Gibbons and Doss relatives; and an amazing group of lifelong friends. 

A memorial service with social distancing will be held for family and friends on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at Helena United Methodist Church at 2:00 p.m. with socially distanced visitation prior at 1:00 p.m. Masks required.

A live stream of the service will be available on the Helena UMC Facebook page and Helena UMC YouTube channel. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation or the American Cancer Society.