William J Gibbons, Jr, 92, of Canaan, New Hampshire, formally of Wilton, New Hampshire, passed away on Thursday, September 5, 2024. He was born March 22, 1932, in Wilton, New Hampshire to parents, William and Emilienne (Bergeron) Gibbons.
William was a 1950 high school graduate of Wilton High School where he played both baseball and basketball. After high school, he played on the Wilton Terriers Baseball team sponsored by the Abbot Mills. He later went on to receive an offer and signed on to pitch for the Minor League Tifton Georgia Blue Sox.
After one season, he joined the United States Army in 1952. In 1953, while serving with the 10th special forces group out of Fort, Bragg, North Carolina, he went on a training mission to Blairsville Georgia. While there he was also working at a family farm. The family had nine kids. He found this to be one of the most meaningful experiences in his life, even returning to the farm to visit 50 years later in 2003. William transferred to the army reserves in 1954.
William returned to minor league baseball, but his pitching was never the same due to a shoulder injury in the US Army. He then worked as a Logger.
He was a member of the Sacred Heart Church in Wilton and Saint Helena’s Church in Canaan. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus council 8026, a member of the Bent Burke Post #10 in Wilton and a member of the National Rifle Association.
He married Joyce Winters.
William is predeceased by his wife, parents, brothers, Paul, and Henry and sister Emilienne “Emmy”. He is survived by his younger brother, Phillip, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Family and friends are warmly welcomed to attend a funeral mass on Saturday September 21, 2024, at 10 at Divine Mercy Parish 12 Church St., Peterborough NH 03458. A burial with military honors will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Wilton, NH.
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