Jerry Gibbons

When dealing with family or a mentee wisdom is not continually directing, protecting or giving answers. Listen, encourage, allow dreams, accept failures. Stress setting a goal not a path, but do not wander aimlessly. Have confidence in yourself – Persevere.

Jerry (Gerald) Gibbons was born in Wenatchee on February 1, 1931 during the depths of the Great Depression, the first of two sons of Everett and Loretta Gover Gibbons. They lived in Ephrata and worked the homestead on Sagebrush Flats started by his grandfather in 1903.

Jerry had a wonderful childhood in Ephrata. He was active in Scouts and earned his Eagle Scout badge, had multiple school activities and ran the Wenatchee World paper route during WWII. Mrs. Matthews, his Jr High health class teacher, told Jerry he would make a good doctor. That was the moment he chose his lifelong career.

He had two challenging but fulfilling years at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA where he went at the suggestion of a military friend of the family. There, Jerry made several lifelong friends and explored the east coast before transferring to the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY. There he met a young student nurse, Barbara Coffman, and was married just before starting his third year.

They interned at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, He later entered the Surgery residency program at the UW/Harborview. It was here that Jerry’s interest in the new discipline of vascular surgery began. While in Seattle his family grew adding 1 son and 2 daughters. After completing his Residency in 1963 he joined the Wenatchee Valley Clinic as a General and Vascular surgeon – the 18 th member of the group.

During his remarkable 49-year career with the WVC, Jerry also moved into administration as Board Chairman and Medical Director, was on the board of Deaconess Hospital, culminating on the merger of Deaconess/St. Anthony-Rosewood into Central Washington Hospital. He started the Occupational Medicine department and took over the Medical departments of Alcoa and the Chelan County jail. Jerry continued assisting in surgery with the Clinic until finally retiring on his 81 st birthday in 2012.

Jerry loves living in NCW and the Wenatchee Valley. He’s been very active in the community in a number of roles with a number of organizations. He’s an avid outdoors enthusiast and has hiked and backpacked extensively through the Icicle drainage and North Cascades and climbed the major peaks. His cabin on Lake Wenatchee serves as base camp for many activities such as running, biking, Hobie Cat, board and kite sailing, downhill and XC skiing and snowshoeing, canoeing, water skiing, swimming and fishing.

Barbara enjoyed many of these activities with him, as well as travelling extensively until her death in 2015. Today, Jerry enjoys continued good health and remains active at the YMCA-he rode just over 2000 mi. on his road bike in 2020. For him, life continues to be an exciting adventure.