John Gilbert “Gib” Graves passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy of laughter, generosity, and unwavering love for family.
Gib had that rare ability to make the everyday moments matter. Whether it was teaching his family how to fix anything – from unclogging a sink to building his own house, Gib passed on both knowledge, skills and strength. Those lessons stuck and often saved the day.
His sense of humor was unmistakable. Gib might have been the founding father of dad jokes — with classic favorites like “isthmus” (as in “isthmus be my lucky day”) and “debris” (pronounced “de-breeze”) never far from his lips. And if you knew him, you knew he didn’t just tell jokes; he carried joy into every room he entered. You can almost still hear him saying, “I know some stuff,” with that familiar grin.
Gib was also a true sports guy. He spent thousands of hours driving his kids to practices and sporting competitions all over Mississippi and Florida. He knew the lineups for his favorite teams and could recount the highlights and scores each night. But what he loved most was sharing that passion with his grandchildren — from reading college sports stories in the University of Miami student paper written by his oldest grandson, to getting detailed play-by-play game recaps from his youngest, and swapping stories in between.
Gib and Allyn recently celebrated their 55th anniversary and took a cruise to Europe — a trip filled with memories, more jokes, and adventures that they were thrilled to have shared. He was looking forward to the next cruise planned for November, checking his countdown daily and reminding everyone how close it was getting.
Among his proudest joys were watching his children grow and spending time with his grandchildren. Sam spent many summer nights with his grandparents, sharing quick wit and banter that wove them into an unbreakable bond. Along with special connections with all of his grandchildren.
Gib was a man of faith. He was an active member of First Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach, Florida for 21 years. He was a member of the choir, he participated in mission trips, and three of his children were married in that church. Since moving back to Brandon in 2014, Gib and Allyn have been active members of Brandon Baptist Church. Gib was an active member of his Sunday School class, a member of the choir, as well as a traveling choral group that toured the State of Mississippi. He was also a member of Young at Heart, a group of seniors who fellowship together and lift each other up in Christ.
Gib lived selflessly, always ready to give without asking for anything in return. Helping others was his quiet reward, never needing recognition. He devoted the last years of his life to doting on his beloved wife Allyn, attending to her every need without ever a complaint or even a hint of fatigue. His absence will be missed by her immeasurably.
Gib was preceded in death by his father Hayes Graves, mother Fannie Merle Graves, and sister Kathy Miller.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Allyn Graves; his children John Graves (Sallie), Will Graves (Ashley), Katie Kotopka (Ryan), and Ginny Roth (Jim); his grandchildren Ian Graves, Cooper Graves, Sam Graves, Aspen Kotopka, Crosby Kotopka, Jack Roth, and Caroline Roth.
Gib Graves will be remembered for his steady heart, his humor, his generosity, and most of all, the love he gave so freely to those lucky enough to know him.