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Gibbons, Michael F.

December 31, 1941 –
 August 15, 2017

Obituary

Michael F. Gibbons, of Dallas, Texas, passed away August 15, 2017 at the age of 75 years. He was born December 31, 1941 in Warren, Ohio to the late William Amadeus Gibbons and Mary Jane Dieringer Gibbons. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio with his siblings; Holly Bednar, Walter Gibbons, Ellen Roth, Mark Gibbons, John Gibbons, and Kevin Gibbons. Michael was a graduate of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, OH, and the United States Air Force Academy Class of 1963. After graduating from the Academy, Michael was stationed at Vance Air Force Base for six years where he was an instructor pilot for the T-38.  This is where Michael met Sharon Deffner on a blind date while she was attending Oklahoma State University. When he was discharged from the Air Force in 1969 he moved to the Dallas area for employment. In 1977, he started his own company called Architectural Systems Inc. Michael was an active member in the Construction Specifications Institute from which he received the designation of Fellow. He was a key leader in launching of the North Texas Association of Air Force Academy Graduates and served as its second president.  He also served for 37 years on the nationally recognized Candidate Selection Board for the service academies of Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. He was appointed by Congressmen Jim Collins in 1980, appointed by his successor, Steve Bartlett, in 1983, and also by Sam Johnson in 1992. He enjoyed both participating and watching sports – grandchildren’s football and basketball games were a favorite, and was a worthy opponent playing poker with friends. Above all, he cherished time spent with his family. Michael F. Gibbons is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sharon Deffner Gibbons, his children; Christopher (Karen) Gibbons, Brian (Lacrecia) Gibbons, and Jason (Ashley) Gibbons, his grandchildren; Taylor, Blake, Dylan, Madison, and Grayson as well as all of his siblings and extended family and dear friends. A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at All Saints Catholic Church where Michael was a long standing member. A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow immediately after the Celebration Mass. Services at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado will take place on Monday, September 25, 2017.   Arrangements are under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Mark Gibbons
    30 Aug 2017
    9:50pm

    We will miss Big Tex (Michael) very much. The Christmas ornaments from TX were always a treat. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Sharon,the Boys,their spouses, and children. He will rest in Peace in that “wild blue yonder.”

    Love and Peace from
    Brother Mark
    Sister-in-Law Susan
    Nephew Sean (and fiance’ Winnie)
    Niece Tracy (and SO Lou Guidi)

    Rev. Thomas Gilles
    1 Sep 2017
    4:08pm

    As a classmate of Mike at St. Ignatius High School, I acclaim him as “A Man for Others.” Well done, good and faithful servant.

    Fr. Thomas C. Gilles

    gwenne Pierce
    3 Sep 2017
    9:20am

    So sorry to read about Mike in this morning’s paper. I had been thinking about you and wondering how you are doing. I need to be better about staying in touch. My best to you during this sad time. You were a good friend to me.

    Judy Rheder
    7 Sep 2017
    10:12am

    My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Just read about Mike’s passing in the paper. Our family had such good times playing together as the boys were growing up. You all were great alley neighbors. Cary,Kirsten and Brett all send their condolences.

    Tom bosworth
    11 Sep 2017
    10:25am

    I am sorry to read this. It was ALWAYS a pleasure to see Mike @ all the grand kids games & visit w/ him during any of the many poker games!!!!

    Jennifer Andrick
    13 Sep 2017
    11:11am

    So sorry for your loss Chris. I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

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