A native of Trappe, Md., Mr. Gibson was introduced to the art by watching his father Samuel Gibson carve decoys for his hunting activities. While his father did not directly teach him the artform, the elder Gibson provided enough inspiration that helped lead his son to take it up later as an adult.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Mr. Gibson used his G.I. Bill benefits to enroll at then-Delaware State College. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education from DSC, Mr. Gibson went on to serve 38 years as a teacher – 21 years at Delaware Technical Community College, 16 years in the Milford School District, and one year in Maryland. Along the way, he also earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
It was during his tenure at Del Tech that Mr. Gibson began developing his lifetime investment in carving waterfowl. Around 1970 he was teaching both day and night classes, and instead of driving home in between those class periods he began carving ducks in his school shop.
Over the last 50 years, Mr. Gibson estimates that he has produced more than 2,000 works. While he creates decoys of all species of ducks, most frequently he carves black mallards and brown mallards. He has exhibited at the William C. Jason Library at Delaware State and the Ward Museum, and competed in Ward World Championships. Mr Gibson celebrated his 100th birthday in 2023.