Charles "Chuck" Alfred Gibbs

Sumter, SC… Lt. Colonel Charles “Chuck" Alfred Gibbs, USAF, Retired, age 88, beloved husband of 60 years to the late Joan Pollock Gibbs, died on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at National Health Care in Sumter.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Chuck graduated from Penn State University in 1954. In 1966, he completed his MBA with honors from the University of South Carolina.

He served his country as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force earning his Silver Wings in 1956. He was a Vietnam Veteran, and retired after 22 years of service.  He was a Command Pilot with over 4,300 flying hours and over 2,000 hours flying the F-4 Phantom II. From 1972 to 1974, he commanded the 33rd Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron at Shaw AFB teaching pilots to fly the RF-4C.  He earned numerous medals and awards during his USAF career including the Air Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters.

In July 1977, he founded The Copy Shop which was “Sumter’s First Quick Printer” and operated it until he retired in 1997.  He supported the Sumter community in many ways. He was a member of the Sumter-Palmetto Rotary Club where he served as President along with many other offices for Rotary District 777.  In 1995, he was honored as Rotarian of the Year by the Sumter-Palmetto Rotary Club.  Mr. Gibbs was elected to the School District 17 Board of Education in 1992 and served for eight years. He was also very active in other Sumter organizations including the Historical Society, the Genealogy Society, and the League of Women Voters. He served on numerous other fraternal, civic, community, and military organizations on the local and state levels.  

He was an active member of Swan Lake Presbyterian Church where he was a Sunday School teacher and earned the title of Elder Emeritus.  During his lifetime, he was active in the Presbyterian Church locally and on the state and national levels.

Surviving are: three daughters, Susan Gibbs Allgood and her husband David of Irmo, SC; Laura Gibbs Baker and her husband Alpheus of Sumter; Edith Gibbs Gamble and her husband Larry of Franklin, WI and seven grandchildren: Phillip Allgood (Katherine), Betsy Watson (Blake), Mary Frances Baker Capers (Demetrius), Jimmy Baker, Whitney Gamble (Brandon Burge), Theresa Bryar (Ken) and Billy Gamble (Courtney); four great grandchildren, JC, Justin, and Othello Capers, and Jaeden Burge; one sister-in-law, Nancy Pollock of Mt. Joy, PA and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Hays Gibbs; sister-in-law, Nancy Gibbs; and brother-in-law, Ronald Pollock.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 2:00 pm in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Chuck Staggs officiating. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Bullock Funeral Home and other times at the home.

Memorials may be made to the Swan Lake Presbyterian Church, 912 Haynsworth Street, Sumter, SC 29150 or the Sumter County Historical Society, PO Box 1456, Sumter, SC 29151.

The family would like to thank all those who took care of Mr. Gibbs.

You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Charles "Chuck" Alfred Gibbs, please visit our floral store.