James M. “Hoot” Gibson
James Madison “Hoot” Gibson, 71, of Polson, MT, went to be with the Lord on Monday, July 20, 2009 at the Community Medical Center in Missoula, MT. Born on February 7, 1938 in Monahans, TX, he was the son of the late Elon and Lucille Lutes Gibson. He married Carolyn Ruth Northcutt on February 28, 1975.
Mr. Gibson was a successful high school football coach spanning thirty-five years in Texas. He coached at Nazareth, San Saba, Lubbock-Roosevelt, Dimmit, White Deer, and Stinnett. In 1999, he retired as Head Football Coach at West Texas High School where he led the Comanche’s to two semi-final appearances and was twice named a Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame Coach of the Year, both in 1989 and 1995.
An avid sports lover, he enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports. He loved football and fishing and especially enjoyed watching the West Texas A&M Buffalos and the Montana Grizzlies. Later as the owner of a cherry orchard on Montana’s Flathead Lake, he loved working and preparing for the cherry harvest and spending time with his family. James was also an active member of Lakeview Baptist Church in Polson, where he served as a Trustee.
Besides his parents, James is preceded in death by two grandsons, Christopher Todd Setliff and Sage Thomas Gibson; and his brother, Darrell Benson.
He is survived by his loving wife Carolyn; his daughter, Tana Setliff and husband Bruce of Fritch, TX; two sons, Tommy Gibson and wife Robbie of Glen Rose, TX, and James Gibson of Missoula, MT. James is also survived by two sisters, Frances Covington and husband J.D. of Bigfork, MT, and Patsy Roberts and husband Byron of Blue Eye, MO; one brother, Teddy Benson and wife Phyllis of Warden, WA; four grandchildren, Trent Setliff, Mikala Setliff, Austin Gibson, and Madison Gibson, and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2009 at Grogan Funeral Home, Polson from 10am – 3pm. Graveside services will be conducted on Friday, July 24, 2009, 10 am, at Lakeview Cemetery in Polson with Pastor Kevin Rettig of Lakeview Baptist Church officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations in the memory of James may be made to either the American Heart Association of the American Cancer Society. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.groganfuneralhome.com. Grogan Funeral Home, Polson is assisting the family.
Hoot Gibson was my coach in high school and after I graduated he continued to be my friend. When I came home on weekends from college at Southwest Texas State University he and I would get together and visit. We would sometimes drive from San Saba to Austin and spend a night on the town. I was under 21 years of age then and if when he stopped to have a beer he would tell the waiter that he was my father so I could have a beer with him. He was a good person and very influential in my life. He had a way about him that made you feel good about yourself. I did not see him again after I graduated from college but I thought of him often. I will never forget him.
Sorry I just found out as I was wondering on the Internet. So sorry for your loss. I wrote to Coach Gibson a personal letter about four years ago and told him how important he had been in my life in San Saba and thanked him for the guidance and and compassion he had always expressed to his athletes. I also thanked him for treating many of us all the same and not seeing that we were a different color. They say don’t wait to tell others how important they are or have been in your life and I feel lucky that I was able to express my gratitude to Coach Gibson for the great human being and genuine American that he was! Vaya Con Dios!
Sinceramente!
Valeriano Cantu
Coach Gibson prepared his stuents for life, I had the pleasure of having him as a HS as a coach in San Saba , Texas, and he made me a the man I’am today.
I last remember visiting with him, shortly before he left my home town of San Saba, The Armadillos, and as several of my teamates and I were messing around, he commented to me with tears in his eyes, that just because he was leaving, did not mean he didn’t want us to win, and that I should lead my teammates out to workout.
As a kid, it was then that I realized how much he cared for me and my teammates, and why he worked us so hard, I believe he made all his players winners in life. God Bless.