John Gibney

With great sorrow we announce the passing of our father, Dr. John Gibney. Also known by many in his life as: PopPop, Dad, Uncle Pop, PapaDoc, Dr. John, Gib, and John-Boy. John passed away peacefully after a hard-fought battle with cancer on March 29, 2024 at the age of 78.

Born in Jersey City, NJ in 1945, John was born into a family that instilled in him a deep-rooted sense of familial connection and loyalty from an early age. During his high school years at St. Peter’s Prep, where he graduated from in 1963, he forged numerous deep and lasting friendships which would continue to be a source of joy and support for him throughout his lifetime. After high school he attended the US Air Force Academy then went on to graduate from St. Peter’s University in 1967. He served in the USAF Reserves from 1965-1971. John went on to study medicine at New Jersey College of Medicine (now Rutgers NJ Medical School) until 1971. Later that year, he took an opportunity to move his growing family west to the University of Utah where he began his Surgical (1971-72) and General Surgery (1972-75) Internships. His surgical talents lead him to a Plastic Surgery residency at the Phoenix Plastic Surgery Residency Program until 1977 and shortly after earned the gold standard in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and became ASPRS/ABPS Board Certified. In 1977 he opened and operated (for 38-years) his private practice, Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons, Ltd. While in practice he earned his MBA from ASU, and further specialized in Aerospace Medicine. After he retired from private practice, he practiced Wound Care and became certified in Addictive Medicine.

Dr. Gibney was affiliated with numerous hospitals throughout his career including Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Maricopa County Hospital Burn Unit, HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Dr. Gibney was a member of a team of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons from prestigious universities around the United States. He partnered with major medical implant companies as a designer and clinical researcher in the development of tissue expanders which are still used today. His expertise led him to be a part of the international lecture circuit, providing education and knowledge to the plastic surgery community throughout Europe and Americas. Additionally, Dr. Gibney was an adjunct professor at Arizona State University where he developed an artificial heart and subsequent U.S. Patent (U.S. Patent-4,919,661). Dr. Gibney’s compassion and surgical aptitude led him to one of his most impactful surgical accomplishments which were his many medical missions to the banks of the Amazon River in Brazil and Ecuador with Esperança (now Advance) to perform cleft lip and palate reconstructions and countless other life changing surgeries.

Dr. John’s talents, interests and creativity spanned far past medicine. He was a talented stained-glass artist, a music and art lover with an eclectic collection of art and sculpture, and often volunteered at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. John was funny and always ready with a witty quip like: “you’ll never forget his name ‘John’ because everyone has one.” He always found time to read and most of all he was an avid crossword-puzzle solver; he could complete a crossword in less time than it took to boil ziti! He loved gardening and his verdant garden overflowed with vegetables and herbs he used for his passion to cook. If you knew John, chances are he fed you and it was likely something out of his self-published cookbook “Cucca Bucca”. For John, there wasn’t a bowl big enough to hold his pasta fagioli. Cooking became an extension of everything he was about: giving, caring, dedicating time and attention, meticulous planning, nourishing body and soul, and, most importantly, fostering togetherness. Each dish told a story and cooking became the vehicle to pass on history through his sacred family recipes. He poured his soul into cooking. He cooked to celebrate, to mourn and to heal. There is no doubt John is serving his family recipe of Mouache to the angels.

John’s ultimate passion in life was his family. The depth of his love for his family is boundless. He planned and anticipated all year to show off the loves of his life in his annual Christmas Card. PopPop only spoke of his grandchildren in the superlative. He held a special bond with each of his family and friends that was uniquely theirs but with a common thread of what uniquely him.

John, so full of compassion, creativity, intelligence, and love, desired to have his ashes spread in the ocean. From the Jersey Shore to the big wide beaches off the Pacific, this desert dweller always found his way to the fresh sea air and vastness of the ocean. John embodied the strength, consistency, uniqueness, dynamism, and now, the peace of the ocean. He will return to the water, the source of all life, where his legacy and love will be everlasting.

John is survived by his five children, from his marriage to Noreen (O’Keeffe) Gibney, and their families: Suzanne Gibney Scott (Christian), Erica Gibney Magnuson, Jonathan Jennings Gibney (Alisa), Kara Gibney Schertz (Wesley) and Allison Gibney Davis (Reese); and grandchildren: Jacob and Lucas Scott, Tyler and Lauren Magnuson, Nathan and Ashley Gibney, Emma and Jack Schertz, Reese Jennings, Colette, and Griffin Davis. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Michele Carlo Gibney, and nephews, Dennis Gibney (Alex), David Gibney (Katie), and great-nephews Nicolas, Oliver and Carlo Gibney.

John is predeceased in death by his parents Sally and Walter (Wodgy) Wojewodzki, and his beloved brother, Dennis Gibney.

A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held on the beach in Newport Beach, CA on June 1, 2024. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to any of the following organizations that were near to John’s heart:

GiGi’s Playhouse, (Down Syndrome Achievement Center): https://gigisplayhouse.org/orangecounty/

Team Michele (Breast Cancer Research) https://teammichelle.org/donate/

Melanoma Research Fund https://donate.melanoma.org

City of Hope (cancer research and patient care): https://www.cityofhope.org/