Strength of character defining trait
EVEN as a child, Peter Gibson was known for his steadiness and dependability, characteristics he retained throughout his life.
His parents used to call him ‘‘good old reliable Nathan’’, a reference to a chorus in the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls because, although still young, their oldest son showed such a sense of responsibility for his younger brothers.
And as a relatively young man, he showed the same strength of character when, after the death of his father, he took on the roles of righthand man to his mother, de facto father to his two youngest brothers, then aged 16 and 12, and continued his father’s law practice.
Mr Gibson died in Whitby near Wellington on June 24, five weeks after his 71st birthday. For the past 10 years he had been battling the effects of a severe head injury resulting from a fall in 2007.
Born in Dunedin on May 18, 1946, he was the oldest of the four sons of Dunedin lawyer Harry Gibson and his wife Rosie (nee Wilson). His younger brothers are Phillip, Nick and Tim.
Educated at John McGlashan College, where he was dux of the primary school in 1958, he completed his secondary education at Otago Boys’ High School then trained in law at the University of Otago, graduating with an LLB in 1969.
While at university, he met Monica Pillar, a young Swiss woman who was studying physical education. They married in Dunedin when he was 22 and in 1971, the young couple headed overseas for their great adventure.
But their OE was cut short after a few months when Mr Gibson’s father became ill. He died later the same year.
It was a demanding time for Mr Gibson, who showed great commitment to his responsibilities. A year later those responsibilities included fatherhood when his and Monica’s first child, Melissa, was born. A second daughter, Emmeline, was born in 1975 and son James in 1980.
Mr Gibson practised law in Dunedin for 35 years, initially taking over his father’s practice, Sinclair, Gibson and Turnbull, later Sinclair Gibson. He was a partner in Cook Allan Gibson and a senior partner and consultant in the firm when it became Gallaway
Cook Allan.
His sense of responsibility and giving nature meant he was fully active in his community. His involvement included working with local schools, as a member and committee chairman of the St Hilda’s Collegiate School board of trustees and a member of the Otago Boys’ High School Old Boys Society. He also worked with Scouting New Zealand and was on the executive of Motorsport New Zealand.
A Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, he chaired the Otago Medical Research Foundation for more than 20 years and for more than 30 years, 15 as chairman, was a member of the Alexander McMillan Trust, a charitable organisation providing funds for worthy projects around the Dunedin region.
He was a trustee of the Otago Special Olympics Trust, a council member of the Otago Chamber of Commerce, an executive member of Birthright Otago, a regular contributor to Radio New Zealand’s current affairs programmes Sunday Supplement and Window on Otago and a contributor to arts organisations such as the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Dunedin Civic Arts Council.
Mr Gibson’s legal knowledge resulted in him advising on a variety of fields ranging from manufacturing, printing and publishing, to service industries, transport, property, tourism and hospitality and the motor industry, a particular interest.
He naturally became involved in the governance of his professional body and was president of the Otago District Law Society in 1984, a member of the New Zealand Law Society’s property and business law and public relations committees and vicepresident of the New Zealand Law Society in 198586.
In 1983 the previous critic of the DCC decided ‘‘to put my money where my mouth was’’ and run for council. He stood on the Citizens’ ticket because the association allowed its candidates to be totally independent once they were elected.
Mr Gibson later described his three years as a councillor as ‘‘valuable’’ and said seeing how and why decisions were made led him to change some of his earlier opinions about the council.
He gained further valuable experience in 1989 when, as the only New Zealander awarded one of 12 Commonwealth Foundation Fellowships, he spent a month travelling with the 11 other recipients to Britain and then to East Africa. The latter left a great impression on him.
He was struck by the way Uganda, a country then in complete economic disarray, was so determined to rebuild. And seeing how much the African countries valued Commonwealth membership made him appreciate the worth of New Zealand’s membership of the grouping.
Although Mr Gibson was not a person to ‘‘blow his own trumpet’’, his years of service in the Dunedin community were acknowledged in 2010 when he was made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order.
Former colleague John Farry described Mr Gibson as ‘‘a Dunedin patriot’’, who would be remembered as such because of the work he did for his local community.
Another former colleague and friend, Judge Colin Doherty, wrote of the great times he and Mr Gibson shared, not only as business partners ‘‘but also as mates’’.
He spoke of his friend’s ‘‘political acumen; not so much in the formal local body politician sense, but in how to handle the people side of running the business’’. And he credited the success of their business to Mr Gibson, whose wry sense of humour ‘‘provided an equanimity throughout many a tough time’’.
An avid reader with wide and diverse tastes in literature, Mr Gibson followed current events and was particularly interested in significant legal cases such as the Erebus inquiry.
He had a passion for classic cars, something fostered by his father, who had been a dedicated car owner. Peter loved tinkering with cars, his first being a black Ford Popular which he did up himself.
His second was a Mini and he bought several of those over the years, racing a classic Mini Cooper in the Queenstown street race and the Dunedin Festival of Speed before track safety regulations led to the end of those street races. He also raced at the Levels near Timaru and at Teretonga.
And over the years, with his good friend John Reid, he combined his love for racing with the travel bug, the two men travelling to Australia for the Bathurst 1000 and Adelaide Grand
Prix and to Europe several times to follow Formula One events.
Some years after Mr Gibson’s first marriage ended, his mother Rose and her close friend Nancye Stevely did some matchmaking. They introduced him to Mrs Stevely’s daughter Margie, who was also divorced. She was teaching at Columba College where she was head of science and biology. They got on well and were surprised their paths had not crossed earlier as Harry Gibson had been chairman of the Otago Hospital Board and Ms Stevely’s father was a local obstetrician.
The couple married in Dunedin on July 7, 2001, at the home they had bought together. They had many interests in common, including reading, politics, current events and travelling, spending time with Peter’s oldest daughter in Paris and Madrid and also travelling to Japan, where they stayed with Mr Gibson’s brother, Phillip, and his family.
They also loved holidays in New Zealand, spending time at the family holiday home in Naseby and at Akaroa and on Waiheke Island
But after six happy years of marriage, their lives were totally changed on July 12, 2007, when, at the age of 61, Mr Gibson suffered a severe head injury in a ‘‘nonmedical’’ fall at his home. He was not expected to survive but came through a coma and pneumonia.
The family expected he would reach a plateau of recovery but, sadly, that never happened.
In 2009, the decision was made to move to Wellington, where there was a better care option for Mr Gibson and where Ms Stevely had family support.
In a tribute at his funeral, Mr Gibson’s older daughter spoke of her father’s strong sense of duty, his honesty, sense of service, loyalty, respect and hard work. But she also talked about his great sense of humour and of how he would entertain his children and their friends with his tall tales and Basil Fawlty impersonations.
A proud father, he loved his family ‘‘fiercely and unconditionally’’ and was always ready to come to their aid.
Mr Gibson is survived by his wife Margie, three children Melissa, Emmeline and James, six grandchildren and his first wife, Monica.