Thomas Francis Gibney

Thomas (Tom) Francis Gibney, of Sylvania, passed away October 28, at the age of 90, surrounded by his loving family at Perrysburg Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

Tom lived a blessed and full life, filled with laughter and love, enjoying cherished times with many close friends and a family he treasured.

Beyond everything, family was his true love. He often said the perfect day or vacation was time with family, sharing stories, memories and laughs. He was a constant presence on the sidelines coaching his kids' teams. And you can count on one hand the number of sporting events he missed of his grandkids, with whom he truly had a special bond.

Tom was born on the north side of Chicago on July 22, 1936, to his parents, Thomas and Loretta Gibney. After graduating from DePaul Academy, Tom came to Toledo on a football scholarship, where he captained the 1959 University of Toledo Rockets football team, making many lifelong friendships which lasted to this day. His football buddies got together for decades at nearly every home game, often meeting inside the Varsity T Pavillion. And their Homecoming tailgates were epic! Tom was an active participant and contributor to the Varsity T Club. In 2019, Tom was recognized with the Varsity T Lifetime Membership award for his service and dedication to the Athletic department.

Tom graduated from UT in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. But without question, even more momentous while at UT, he met his future wife, Margaret McHugh, a fellow Rocket graduate. They would marry at St. Agnes Catholic Church, and ultimately they celebrated nearly 66 years of marriage. She was the star of his universe; the admiration and love he had for her was immeasurable.

Tom and Margaret (Maggie) built their life in the Toledo area, raising their three children in west Toledo before settling in Sylvania. Throughout his career, Tom held numerous positions over the years in the financial field, serving in various capacities including Chief Financial Officer, Accountant, and Controller.

Beyond work, Tom relished his time with family and friends. He and Maggie traveled extensively, visiting many destinations across Europe. With their Irish heritage, Tom and Maggie's dream vacation was to Ireland which they were blessed to experience on multiple occasions. They also traveled across the country over the years, including trips to Maine, Alaska, Arizona and Florida. Without question, two of their most special places to vacation were Harbor Springs in northern Michigan and Siesta Key, Florida, during the winter months.

Along with all things related to Toledo Rockets, Tom was a passionate sports fan of Notre Dame, Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears. He had a memory like an elephant and could still rattle off the 1945 starting lineup for the Cubs. He finally got to pop a bottle of Champagne when the unthinkable happened with the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series. A week later, on a special guys road trip to Florida celebrating his 80th birthday with his son, nephew and grandsons, he was fortunate to meet Cubs manager Joe Maddon at his Tampa restaurant, telling him "Let's not wait another 100 years."

Tom is survived by his wife, Margaret; sister June Gibney; sister-in-law Betty Pawlowski; his three children, daughters Christine Gibney and Laura (Jim) Williams, and son, John (Susan) Gibney; five grandchildren, Nick (Abby) Chagin, Justin (Taylor) Chagin, Dylan Chagin, Kelsey (Joe) Breitenbach and Clark Gibney; and two great-grandchildren, Leo and Beau Breitenbach. As the last surviving uncle, he also leaves behind 21 nieces and nephews and their spouses who adored him. He was preceded in death by his parents, along with his brother, Chuck Gibney and his wife, Sandy Gibney.

Tom's life will be celebrated with a visitation on Friday, November 6, from 3-7 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 5411 Main St., Sylvania.

Gifts of remembrance may be directed to the University of Toledo Varsity T Club and Hospice of Northwest Ohio.