Obituary: Lubbers, Gilbert “Gil”
Age 84
Born September 24, 1929 in Orange City, IA, Gil was the youngest of eight siblings born to Helena (Lena) and Albertus (Bert) Lubbers.
He graduated in 1947 from Orange City High School, and then North-western College in Orange City in 1949.
Following a short stint as a land surveyor, Gil enlisted in the Navy in 1951.
He attended Hospital Corps school in NJ and served as a Marine Medic in East Asia just after the conclusion of the Korean conflict.
Ports of call included Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the main islands of Japan.
He was released into inactive duty in 1954.
In September of 1954 Gil attended the Univ.
of Iowa for pre-med study, and then followed on for a semester to the U of I medical school.
Shifting gears to Hospital Administration, Gil would eventually receive his MS in 1960.
Launching his career by interning at the Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington VT, Gil met, courted and finally married Dorothy Lemon (Director of Dietetics) on October 20, 1960.
Gil held a variety of career positions of increasing responsibility including: Assistant Executive Director of Iowa Hospital Assn.
in Des Moines, IA; Director of Administrative Affairs at the St.
Cloud Hospital in St.
Cloud, MN; and then, in 1972, he moved to Spokane as the Assistant Administrator at Holy Family Hospital.
In 1984, in another career shift, Gil left hospital administration, and began work in group insurance sales with Standard Insurance Company, finally retiring in 1996.
Retirement led to many travels with his wife Dorothy, to places all over the world.
New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Ireland, and England; places they had dreamed about seeing ‘someday’ became familiar places to both.
Local travel was on the itinerary as well - there was camping with close friends, a trip to Yellowstone, sailboat charters with family, and even an extended road trip to northern British Columbia.
Gil was an active member of Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church and Rotary Club.
He was also an avid downhill and cross country skier, small boat sailor, and an accomplished golfer.
Gil made new friends and kept up with old ones through all his days, and his humor, wisdom, and enthusiasm for life and new ideas, will be sorely missed by all.
Gil is survived by a son, Bryan, and granddaughter, Mary, both of Walla Walla.
A memorial service will be held at Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church on Friday, September 5th, at 11:00 AM In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Hospice of Spokane: http://hospiceofspokane.org/