Coach Hester Gibbs went to his heavenly home on June 21st. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Eleanor Gibbs, daughter, Marsha (Jeff) Nevils, stepsons Tom (Shera) Goode, and Michael Goode, granddaughters, Heather (Jacob) Vanatta, Brandie Gibbs, and Chandler (Jacob) Moore, grandsons, Cody (Haley) Nevils, Will and John Michael Belk and Chase Goode, and great-grandson, Jake Vanatta, and great-granddaughters, Lexi and Adley Vanatta and Maddie Rose Nevils and sister, Elsa Lockert Winters plus many nieces and nephews.
He was born October 6, 1937, in Ashland City, TN to Arthur Thomas and Bessie Serena Gibbs. He was the 16th out of 17 children. He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers and eleven sisters, son Brad Gibbs, granddaughter Kelsey Nevils, and stepdaughter Lessie Belk.
He will always be remembered for being competitive, from the tennis and basketball court to the checker table. After playing college football at Middle Tennessee, he came to Lebanon High School as an assistant football coach. He served as head football coach from 1982-1983. He was head tennis and baseball coach but is known for his career as the head basketball coach at Lebanon High School from 1963- 1991. In 1972, his team was District Champions, and they played in the TSSAA State Basketball tournament three different times. In 1982 he was named the Mid-State Coach of the year for football and basketball. He was named Most Valuable Football Player his senior year at Middle Tennessee. He was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame, Lebanon High School Hall of Fame and Ashland City Hall of Fame. Even with all the accolades he received, he was always so proud of winning the Nashville Golden Glove Boxing Match in 1959.
So many knew him as the CG (competitive greatness) man. He was always telling you that you had to have CG. He definitely had CG.
Not only was he a great coach, but a great official. Whenever he quit coaching a sport, he would then begin officiating that sport. He spent 54 years as a football, basketball and softball official.
Heater loved his players so much and had such an influence on their lives. When out in public former players regularly approached him and would say, “Coach, you were tough, but it was the greatest thing you ever did for me”. One of the highest forms of praise he ever received was when a Minister of Music stood up and said, “Coach, if you had not been so tough on me, I would have never survived Vietnam”.
There will be a visitation at Sellars’ Funeral Home on July 10th from 4 – 8 P.M. and the Celebration of Life will be at the Lebanon High School Gym on July 11th at 11:00.
In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to your favorite charity, Immanuel Baptist Building Fund or Alive Hospice.
For more obituaries visit our obituaries page.
This obituary was published by Sellars Funeral Home – Lebanon.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter
 Nevils, stepsons T...){kind=link}