James Patrick Gibbons came into this world on April 29, 1953 and lived his life to the fullest until he found rest and peace on May 25, 2024.

Jim was a gregarious presence. Never without a story (or many!), he loved making connections with people. He was a proud and nearly lifelong Chicagoan, and an avid fan of every Chicago sports team aside from the Cubs, for whom he held a strongly rooted and passionate distaste.

Above all, though, he loved his family and close friends deeply. He was a devoted father and a constant presence in his children's lives, especially at myriad youth, high school and college sporting events (where he was always seen and heard. He was lucky to share the last twenty years of his life with his love and best friend, Sandy Poor.  In the last decade of his life, he thrived in his role as grandpa to nine grandchildren, who he always delighted with his charm and silliness. His family and friends will forever fondly remember his jokes, his many favorite sayings (think you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish), his delight in a good time, and most of all his love.

Jim is survived by his dear Sandy, his children, Elizabeth (Dan) Lewis, Megan (Mike) Lehrman and Austin (Leah Berolzheimer) Gibbons, Sandy's daughters, Katie (Ben Salk) Poor and Amy (Joseph) Crosland, his beloved grandchildren, Samuel and Edith Lewis, Audrey, Leo and Grace Lehrman, Acadia and Margo Salk and August and Zula Crosland, Elizabeth, Megan and Austin's mother, Jeanne Gibbons, his sisters Nancy (Robert) Wieszcholek and Mary Agnes (Tim) Haley, and many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Mary Genevieve Gibbons.

Memorial Visitation will be held at 9:00 am on Thursday until time of Mass 10:00 a.m. at Old St. Patrick's Church, 700 West Adams, Chicago, Illinois

If so inclined, in lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Fund for Local Journalism

https://localmedia.org/strategic-pillars/journalism-funded-by-philanthropy/the-fund-for-local-journalism/ ,

a cause that Jim cared deeply about and shared with all of those in his life.