Mildred J. Gibson

Mildred “Gibby” Gibson, 75, died Saturday, April 16, 2011, at the United Hospital System in Kenosha.

She was born in Clinton, MA, a suburb of Boston, on December 3, 1935, and was the only child of Isaac and Mildred Gibson. “Gibby” was named after her mother, but as an adult she chose to be called by her father’s nickname.

Gibby grew up in Hudson, MA, another nearby suburb of Boston, where she attended and graduated from the local public grade school and high school. After graduation she trained and worked as a lab and x-ray technician for a couple of years on Nantucket Island. But she really wanted to be a nurse, and there was no nursing school on the island. In a medical magazine she saw an ad for a nursing school at St. Luke’s Hospital in far off Racine, Wisconsin. She responded, was accepted, and finally convinced her father to let her travel a thousand miles to enroll as a student. During her training here she lived at Henrietta Benstead Hall which was then the dormitory for female nursing students at St. Luke’s and later became the Christmas House.

When she completed her training at St. Luke’s, Gibby took and passed the national test for her license as a Registered Nurse. For the following thirty years she practiced her craft at hospitals both in Racine and Milwaukee, but principally at old St. Luke’s and St. Mary’s in Racine, and retired from nursing in 1985.

Gibby also enjoyed nature studies and was fascinated by butterflies and turtles. One of her proudest achievements was incubating a small turtle egg which produced “Maggie,” the sole survivor of her turtle pets whom she nurtured tenderly for the past seven years.

She particularly loved her home on College Avenue and sitting on the front porch on summer evenings when neighbors came by – neighbors who were always there for her. When she needed help, they were by her side – John and Karen Apple on the north side, and Carole Johnson on the south.

Gibby is mourned by and survived by Don Rintz, her domestic partner for more than 25 years.

By his three children – Maria, Jeremy, and Barnaby.

By his two granddaughters – Anabella Maria and Carolina Maria.

By his son-in-law Shawn, Maria’s husband, and

By his daughter-in-law Tamara, Barnaby’s wife.

All of whom Gibby thought of fondly as family.

Gibby’s ashes will be committed to the soil of the Secret Garden at the DeKoven Center following a short “Ceremony of Remembrance” – inside – at St. Mary’s Chapel in Taylor Hall, starting at noon on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.

Memorials in Gibby’s honor may be made to the DeKoven Center, 600 21st Street, Racine, WI 53403.

MARESH-MEREDITH & ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME
803 Main St., Racine (262) 634-7888