In Memoriam: Ernest Bert Gibson

March 11, 1947 – April 16, 2018

Ernest Bert Gibson “Ernie” passed away in a tragic accident while in his last breath heroically saving the life of his wife of 37 years.

The son of Elbert and Dorothy Gibson of Canyon Lake, Ernie’s early childhood began in Monrovia, CA. In 1962, at the age of 15, his family moved to Arcadia, CA, where he graduated from Arcadia High School, class of ‘65.

After his service in the Marine Corps., Ernie went to work in the construction industry as a carpenter where he discovered his lifelong passion as a cabinet craftsman. In 1979, he opened a small cabinet shop in Santa Barbara, CA. In 1981, Ernie moved to Lake Elsinore.

In 1982, he met and married the love of his life, Jackie, and together they established a business in Lake Elsinore, well known by many Canyon Lake residents as “The Cabinet Plant.” From that time until present, Ernie and Jackie have operated The Cabinet Plant, gracing surrounding communities with their wonderful workmanship.

Ernie’s passion was cabinetry and it showed in his meticulous work. Ernie was not just a master of cabinetry, he was a master of anything he touched. He was a caring and passionate man who loved and respected life and all living things. Ernie had an intelligent mind and used it in making all decisions. If you were to ask him anything, he would not only give you the correct answer but also get into the details and the history of what makes his answer right. He was fun to work with and had the most amazing blue eyes and when he greeted you with that fabulous smile you could see his cheek dimples. He was cheerful and well loved by his friends and his entire family.

Ernie was in excellent physical shape. His idol was Jack LaLanne, “The Godfather of Fitness.” Inspired by him, Ernie was up to 200 pushups a day. If you were a woman in Ernie’s presence you were well protected. He was a fourth degree black belt, who volunteered for over 25 years at the Lake Elsinore Community Center, teaching Tae-kwon-do to inner-city youths.

He loved animals, gardening, photography, art, music, reading and anything related to health science and research of any kind. He also liked helping his friends. His joy in life was spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. In our house, it was also otherwise known as burrito night. He had several nieces and nephews of whom he loved and cared for deeply and enjoyed family get-togethers with his five siblings and their children.

Ernie is survived by his wife Jacqueline Kay Gibson, son Joshua Robert Gibson, daughter Colleen Nicole Gibson and his two grandchildren Kaylee Trabucco and Joseph Gibson. He is also survived by his four brothers, James Gibson, David Gibson, Ronald Gibson, Steven Gibson, and two sisters Katie Sachak and Wendy Hamilton.

Services will be held Saturday, May 12, at 1 p.m. in the Canyon Lake Community Church Sanctuary.

Ernie will forever be remembered and dearly missed by his entire family and a lifetime of friends.