Rockwell, TX - Colonel Francis J. Gibbons, USAF (Retired), passed away on January 14, 2026, after a battle with pancreatic cancer and returned to our Lord and Savior.

Colonel Gibbons was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and raised in Stratford, Connecticut. He was the son of Francis and Eleanor Gibbons. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Janet; his children, Tara (Lamar) Green, Patrick Gibbons, Justin (Kai) Gibbons, and Amanda (Jim) Duquette; seven grandchildren, Wiley (Haylee) Green, Sydney Green, Collin, Connor, and Nolan Duquette, and Jairus and Talia Gibbons; and his brother, Joe Gibbons of Stratford, Connecticut.

Colonel Gibbons served as a B-52 instructor pilot in Strategic Air Command, with follow-on assignments to SAC Headquarters, Air Combat Command, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, where he led a team assessing security and threats to the U.S. Capitol in the wake of September 11, 2001.

He lived his life guided by faith, duty to his country, and a deep commitment to his family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 19 at 1:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 1305 Damascus Road, Rockwall, TX. Visitation will be from12:00-1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial with military honors will be at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on a later date.

If desired, donations in his name may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to your favorite veterans' organization.