Gilbert Ray Kobler, known to his friends and family as “Gib,” was born into eternal life at age 81 on Friday, September 24, 2021.
Gib was the beloved husband of the late Anne Kobler and loving father to Christopher and Matthew, both of Dallas. He is survived by both of his sons, as well as Matt’s wife, Megan, and Chris’ wife, Christina. He is also survived by his three grandchildren: Matt and Megan’s sons Hayne and Knox, and their daughter, Shelton. His brother, Arden Kobler, is the only surviving sibling of Gib’s three brothers, and Gib also leaves a large family of nieces and nephews, as well as his brother- and sister-in-law, Hayne and Faye Livingston. He is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Charlotte Kobler, of Hays, Kansas.
Gib was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on December 28, 1939, and grew up in Hays, Kansas, where he graduated from Hays High School in 1958. He grew up around his father’s car dealership and developed a life-long love of cars. Gib remained an active member of his school’s alumni groups, as well as a participant in the Hays community until his death.
Gib studied at the University of Kansas, UCLA, SMU, and Fort Hays State University, where he graduated in 1964. He eventually made his way to Columbia, South Carolina, where he married the love of his life, Anne, on September 15, 1973. Their first son, Chris, was born two years later, and Matt followed in 1979 after the family moved to Manassas, Virginia. In 1980, the family moved to Duncanville, Texas, subsequently moving to Honolulu, Hawaii, and returned with a final move back to Duncanville in 1986.
Gib held several jobs, but his longest career was as an accountant with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), a position he held for 34 years until his retirement in September of 2003. He loved his country and was proud to serve it through his role with AAFES and was able to travel the world through his job. Chris and Matt have many fond memories of driving to air force bases around the country with their dad, where they lived every little boy’s dream of learning about fighter jets and watching pilots take off and land their planes.
In fact, Gib took the boys on countless trips, not just on work excursions. He was the Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 524 and took Matt, Chris, and the entire troop on numerous campouts throughout the years. Gib’s dedication to the Scouts inspired Chris and Matt to earn their Eagle Scout badges, an accomplishment they’re proud of to this day.
Once his children grew up, Gib stepped into one of his most cherished roles – that of Grandpa – to his three grandchildren. Always eager to babysit, Gib was consistently met with an enthusiastic chorus of “Grandpa’s here!” every time he came over.
When he wasn’t spending time with friends and family, Gib volunteered with the First United Methodist Church in Duncanville, Duncanville Outreach Ministry, and donated his time and expertise to assisting underserved individuals with their taxes.
Gib’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 6th, at 2:00pm in the Sanctuary at First United Methodist Church of Duncanville (FUMCD), 403 South Main St., Duncanville, TX 75116. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Gib’s memory to FUMCD.