Charles (Chuck) Dean Gibson, age 89, of Rice Lake WI, died on Thursday, June 2, 2022. He passed away peacefully after eating lunch with his friends at Woodstone Senior Living in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Chuck was born on January 25, 1933, in Loyal, Wisconsin, to Carl and Adah (Swanson) Gibson.

He graduated from the Onamia High School in 1950 and was married to Elizabeth (Betty) Leander on July 4, 1953, in Onamia, Minnesota. After leaving the Army, where he served in Germany and worked as a diesel mechanic, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota. He graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine and built a veterinary practice in Elbow Lake, Minnesota. Eventually he returned to school, earning his PhD in Veterinary Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1971. From 1977 to 1990, he taught at the Veterinary School at Michigan State University. He enjoyed working with farmers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as part of the federal cooperative extension service. He was able to share his research and experience at conferences in Yugoslavia and Amsterdam, and with dairy farmers in Arizona, Belize, Costa Rica, and St. Croix. Chuck enjoyed camping, fishing, and hunting with family and friends. He took his boys on canoe trips through the Boundary Waters every Memorial Day weekend for many years and often went duck and pheasant hunting in South Dakota and Saskatchewan. After retirement, he and Betty lived at assisted living homes in Eden Prairie and Onamia, Minnesota, where his extensive gardens were always shared with the other residents. In 2017, Chuck and Betty moved to Woodstone Senior Living in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Betty passed away in 2019, and Chuck missed her every day until June 2 when he got to see her again in heaven. He treasured the friends he made at Woodstone, especially the staff who took such good care of him. He was active in the chapel services and musical programs, purchasing large print hymnals for the facility so people could sing the old hymns which he loved so much.

Chuck is survived by 3 sons and their families: Dr. Michael and Cindy Gibson of Mikana, Wisconsin, Mark Gibson (Pat MacDonell) of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Jim and Dawn Gibson of Marshfield, Wisconsin; 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and his brother, Dr. Robert Gibson, of St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Adah Gibson, daughter-in-law Sharon Gibson, and siblings Bruce Gibson and Eunice Swedberg.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Appleyard’s Funeral Home in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Visitation will begin at 10:00, and a lunch will follow at Maranatha Free Church in Rice Lake.

Last Update: Jun 07, 2022 11:07 am CDT