Charles “Charlie” Gene Gibson, of Springfield, passed away peacefully on his 77^th birthday with family by his side. On December 14, 1945, Charlie was born in Springfield, Missouri, to Willard Eugene and Hazel Elizabeth (Shull) Gibson. He attended Springfield Public Schools and graduated from Central Senior High School in 1963. On June 9, 2000, in Carroll County, Arkansas, Charlie was united in marriage to Lisa Ann Tillman. The couple shared 17 years of marriage until her passing in 2017. Charlie was blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and a very special God son.

Charlie spent most of his adult life working in the construction industry. On April 1, 1969, he became a member of Sheet Metal Workers, Local 146, in Springfield. In 1976, Local 146 merged with Local 36 to form a larger brotherhood of union workers in the Springfield area. In July of 1988, Charlie became the business agent for Local 36. For the next six years, he would successfully represent his local brotherhood as a fair-minded liaison and advocate. When Local 146 was recharted in June of 1994, Charlie was selected to serve as its Business Manager. In that role, Charlie was responsible for leading the union and supervising its daily operations—responsibilities he would take very seriously for the next six years. On December 1, 2000, and after decades of stellar service, Charlie retired from his leadership role within the local union. He will long be remembered for his leadership, advocacy, loyalty, and pride in the brotherhood.

Charlie was a United No. 5 Mason from 1975-2000 and was an active member of the Abou Ben Adhem Shriners of Southwest Missouri from 1975-2002. As a Shriner, Charlie devoted himself to countless hours of community service and fundraising. He enjoyed the fraternal experience of having fun, building relationships, and making a difference in the lives of children. In addition to his involvement with the Shriners, Charlie was also an ardent member of the National Rifle Association. An avid outdoorsman, Charlie was passionate about deer hunting and catfishing. Many of his most prized trophy fish are on display in the homes of his children. In his younger years, he liked to box and race motorcycles. Fewer pastimes, however, brought him more joy than horseracing, especially watching the Kentucky Derby. Over the years, Charlie assembled an impressive collection of Kentucky Derby memorabilia. Outside of horseracing and hunting, Charlie was a huge fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Willard and Hazel Gibson; stepmother, Mildred Gibson; and wife, Lisa Gibson. He is survived by his children, Traci Rickman and husband John; Aubrey Johnson and husband Buck; and Sabrina Epstein and husband Brian; 7 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; God son, Robert Ray Black; sister, Margie Gibson; sister, Gayle Johnston and husband John; brother, David Gibson and wife Geanie; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A visitation for Charles “Charlie” Gene Gibson will be held from 9:00-10:00 am on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at Greenlawn Funeral Home North in Springfield (3506 N. National). Charlie’s funeral service, officiated by Reverend Geoff Weinman, will immediately follow the visitation at 10:00 am. Charlie will be laid to rest next to his wife Lisa at Danforth Cemetery near Strafford. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Charlie’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation (parkinson.org).