McGIBONY Colonel James Thomas McGibony, Jr., (US Army retired), age 65, died peacefully on September 3, 2007. Born in Washington, DC, he had resided in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL since 1990, and spent the last year and a half in Sun City Hilton Head, SC. Col. McGibony received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and ROTC. He also held a Master of Hospital Administration from Baylor University. Upon graduation from college, he entered the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Medical Service Corps. Key assignments included Adjutant, 6th Convalescent Center, Cam Rahn Bay, South Vietnam; Commander, 46th Combat Support Hospital, Ft. Devens, MA; Deputy Commander for Administration, US Army Hospital, Berlin, Germany; and Deputy Director, Personnel Directorate, Office of the Surgeon General, Washington DC. Among military awards are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Vietnam Service Medal and the Order of Military Medical Merit. After 26 years of distinguished service, Col. McGibony retired from the US Army in 1990, and entered public service as Health Department Administrator of Baker and Nassau Counties, Florida. A year later he was named Administrator, and subsequently, Deputy Director of Duval County Health Department, Jacksonville, until his retirement in 2000. Col. McGibony was a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the American Hospital Association, and St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, Bluffton, SC. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marie McGibony, his son, James T. McGibony III, daughter and son in law, Alison and Alan Brooks, two grandchildren, Kimberly and Samantha Brooks, brother and sister in law, Lt Col. (ret.) Charles M. and Jan McGibony and three nephews, Ryan (wife, Katie), Bill and Steve. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 10:00 am at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 545 A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL with Fr. Michael Houle and Msgr. Daniel Logan, celebrants. In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made in Tom's honor to Palmer Catholic Academy, 545 A1A, North Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082; St. Gregory the Great Catholic School, 333 Fording Island Road, Bluffton, SC 29909 or to a charity of your choice. Sauls Funeral Home of Bluffton, SC is assisting the family with their arrangements. ( www.saulsfh.com) Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com
Published in the Florida Times-Union on Sept. 7, 2007

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Mary Johnston