Joan Margaret Gibson

Joan Margaret Gibson, 93, passed away peacefully on July 17, 2025. A beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and devoted member of her community, Joan leaves behind a legacy of service, learning, and compassion that touched all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Born on August 28, 1931, in Newark, to Theodore M. and Margaret L. Bryda, she was a nurturing older sister to her brothers, Theodore, Gerald, and Richard.

After marrying William S. Gibson in 1951, Joan and Bill moved to Iselin, and later to Edison, where they became a founding family of St. Helena’s Church, planting deep roots in a growing community. Joan remained an active communicant at St. Helena’s Church for 60 years, serving as a lector, devoted member and past president of the Altar Rosary Society, and past president of the HSA. She took great pride in being part of the Nocturnal Adoration Society and found purpose in fostering her spiritual growth and parish community through various classes and Bible studies.

Joan dedicated more than 20 years of her life to the Edison Township School System, where she inspired young minds as a teacher and mentored colleagues and students with kindness and unwavering commitment. Her legacy as an educator is matched only by her passion for service.

A tireless volunteer, Joan gave generously of her time with Literacy Volunteers, ESL programs, various PTAs and HSAs, and through years of leadership in Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Her wisdom, compassion, and commitment to helping others made a lasting impact on everyone she encountered. She was also a dedicated election poll worker for more than a decade.

Joan filled her life with hobbies that illuminated her inquisitive mind and caring spirit—maintaining her prized gardens, quilting treasured keepsakes for loved ones, tracing the tapestry of her family’s genealogy, enjoying the written word, and traveling to new places with enthusiasm and curiosity. Her home was always rich in warmth, laughter, and the bonds of a close-knit family.

Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William S. Gibson; her son, Neil E. Gibson; her brothers, Gerald and Theodore Bryda; and her parents. 

She is survived by:

• her brother, Richard Bryda; 

• her children: William S. Gibson Jr. (Kathleen), Robert M. Kelliher-Gibson (Margaret), Carolyn J. Mitchell (Bruce), Thomas D. Gibson(Randall), and Paul A. Gibson (Jacqueline);

• her grandchildren: William S. Gibson III, Sr. Colleen M. Gibson SSJ, Matthew Kelliher-Gibson (Gwen), Suzanne Kelliher-Gibson, Shane Mitchell (Jen), Christopher Mitchell (Stephanie), Patrick Gibson (Laila), and Peter Gibson.

• her great grandchildren: William S. Gibson IV, Mackenzie J. Gibson, Violet Kelliher-Gibson, Emelia Kelliher-Gibson and Calvin Kelliher-Gibson, Christopher J. Mitchell Jr., and Conor Mitchell.

Visitation will be held on July 24, 2025 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., and on July 25 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Gosselin Funeral Home, 660 New Dover Rd., Edison, NJ. A Funeral Mass will follow on July 25 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Helena’s Church, 950 Grove Ave., Edison, with interment at St. Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia, NJ. (The funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the parish website https://sthelenaedison.org/our-church). Joan’s boundless love, faith, and service will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

Because the mausoleum where she will be interred does not allow flowers, the family asks instead that you make a donation in her memory to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, P.O. Box 97007, Washington, DC 20090-7007. Guiding Eyes has provided, and continues to provide, vital life independence support to her son.

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