Dr. George Thomas "Tom" Carlyle Gibson

In the early morning hours of Dec 9, 2024 at the North Shore Hospice, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, Dr. George Thomas Carlyle Gibson peacefully and quietly left us for his next journey. 

Tom was born in Hamilton, Ontario on Oct 4, 1938. Following his medical training at the University of Toronto, he returned to Vancouver for a long and satisfying career as one of the last old-fashioned family doctors, practicing for 42 years at Marpole Medical. Retirement did not suit Tom, so he continued part-time at Healthvue Medical, a family practice clinic in Steveston, for another decade, only stopping last March due to illness. 

He will be remembered by his wife, Ysa, his children, Carla (Demetri Stratidakis), Christian, and Sarah (Gordon Turnbull) and his adored grandchildren, Ava, Alexa, Lucy, and Kate. He also leaves his sister, Ruth Beyers, and her family, and his extended family, in Ontario. 

Tom was a devoted father, spending many summers on Bowen Island with his young family, where he taught them to fish off the dock, feed the birds, play cribbage and enjoy the sunsets. There were also ski trips to Whistler, as well as visits to the family cottage in Cedar Springs, Ontario. 

Tom shared his love of classical & Canadian folk music, English literature & poetry with all. He loved nature and spent many happy hours tending to the garden, reading on the decks and going on long rambling hikes. He enjoyed both luxurious and rough travel to many countries in North America, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East. In the last years, we hosted many happy occasions with friends and family in our home on Bowen Bay. 

More than anything, Tom valued personal interactions with everyone he touched in this lifetime. He maintained contact with childhood friends, med school buddies, clinic colleagues and office staff, multiple generations of patients, and a whole community of lifelong friends and neighbours. 

Tom had the best care team at Lions Gate Hospital. Our family is ever grateful for the loving care of all his doctors, nurses, care aides & lab techs in Oncology & Palliative Care. We also thank Edna, Aldrin, Katie, Jane and Shannon for weekly visits and their good company, that allowed us to be home on Bowen as long as we could. 

As he wished, there will be a Celebration of Life in the late spring, when it is ‘warmer, brighter and in the garden’. In memoriam and gratitude, please consider a donation to the LGH Foundation - Oncology or Palliative Care/Hospice programs. lghfoundation.com/tributes/dr-george-gibson/. 

If you wish to celebrate Tom’s life later in the spring, send a note to yltg1700@gmail.com.