Dennis Randolph Gibbard

Dennis Randolph Gibbard, 81, of Amarillo passed away Thursday, July 4, 2019 He was born October 1, 1937 in Los Angeles, California to Emerson and Greta Gibbard. Dennis was an active Sea Scout as a teenager. He graduated from George Washington High School, Los Angeles, CA; and worked at Douglas Aircraft before joining the U.S. Navy in December 1956. He married Theodora Roop of Amarillo, Texas in April, 1960. Stepdaughter Linda McCrady Gibbard Avery was 4 years old.  She, and later, children of marriage, David and Janette, were raised by Dennis and Theodora. He worked hard to obtain assignments in the Navy to be with family.  Dennis was accompanied by his family while stationed at MSTS Naha Port, Okinawa and Subic Bay, Philippines. Other duty stations were in San Francisco, California; New London, Connecticut and Long Beach, California. He volunteered to serve in Viet Nam in 1968. Chief Yeoman Gibbard was attached to NSA Da Nang Foreign Claims Office. In addition to duties, he published the White Elephant Times and under the auspices of Civic Action, he voluntarily taught English three nights a week to a class of 70 students at China Beach Orphanage.  Dennis retired from the U.S. Navy in 1977 while at the Pentagon with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Later, in his retirement years, he and family moved to Texas and worked for Greyhound Lines. Dennis will be interred at a later date at Llano Cemetery, Amarillo, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emerson Gibbard of Oakland, California and Greta McKnight of Joshua Tree, California; his former wife, Theodora Gibbard of Lubbock, Texas; a brother, Roger Gibbard of Moore, Oklahoma and a life long friend, Paul L. Adkisson. Dennis is survived by a son, David Gibbard of Amarillo, Texas; a daughter, Janette Bills of Lubbock, Texas; a step-daughter, Linda Avery of Manassas, Virginia; a grandson, Nicholas Avery of Manassas, Virginia; three granddaughters, Coleen Avery of Purcellville, Virginia, Ashley Bural of Clovis, New Mexico and Abby Bural of Englewood, Colorado and three great-grandchildren, Avery Garnett, Bryce Garnett and Blake Garnett all of Purcellville, Virginia.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.