Mark Gibbons, 86, of Cambridge passed away peacefully with family members at his side on Saturday December 22 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, after experiencing a stroke. He enjoyed a long life, which he lived to the fullest.
Mark was born on November 27, 1926, as one of four children of Dr. John and Ella Mahoney Gibbons, and grew up in an old sea captain's house on the harbor of Mattapoisett Massachusetts.
He graduated from Fairhaven High School class of 1944, Massachusetts Maritime Academy class of 1947 and Tufts University class of 1951. He served in the United States Merchant Marines and the US Navy and was honorably discharged in 1955. During this time, he worked on various ships traveling to Africa, the Caribbean, South America, England and Scotland.
From 1957-1966 Mark was married to Anne D. Prescott of Fairfield, Connecticut. They settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts where they raised four children. At that time, Mark was a Vice-President at RM Bradley & Co., a real estate brokerage and property-management firm.
Over the next forty years he lived part-time in Cambridge and part-time on the Algarve Coast of South Portugal.
From 1977-1987, he was married to Suzanne Grey of England, and they spent much of their time together traveling the world.
Mark had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh.
Throughout his life, he enjoyed sailing, model shipbuilding, vintage sports cars, traveling, painting, writing, and sharing stories, and most of all, being with friends and family.
Mark is survived by his four children; including sons Geoffrey Gibbons of Boston and Prescott Gibbons of Cambridge; daughter Angella Gibbons and her husband Dennis Ross of Marshfield Vermont, and daughter Leslie Gibbons of Talent, Oregon; his sister Joanella Deery and his sister-in-law Vera Converse Gibbons, both of Mattapoisett; the mother of his children, Anne D. Prescott of Shelburne Vermont; extended family member Robert H. Young of New York City; many nieces and nephews; other extended family members and many dear and long-time friends.
Mark was predeceased by his parents Dr. John and Ella Gibbons, his brother John D. Gibbons and sister Geraldine Potter.
A burial ceremony for family and close friends will be held at St. Anthony's Cemetery, Mattapoisett on January 26, 2013 at 11:00 am, followed by a gathering at The Inn on Shipyard Park, 13 Water Street, Mattapoisett.
In addition, later this spring, relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service and celebration of Mark Gibbons’ life, at Christ Church, Zero Garden Street, Cambridge, MA. The day and time to be determined.