ANTOINETTE D. GIBBONS

August 5, 1930 - July 31, 2021

and nature. Her love of science fiction, especially Star Trek, was infectious. She encouraged her children to pursue science and fly airplanes. It’s no wonder they each have science and technology degrees, including three Doctorates. Her loving care and support for them, their well-being, and their endeavors were inexhaustible. Antoinette D. Gibbons, wife, mother, and artist, passed away in her home in San Antonio, TX on July 31, 2021. She was 90 years old. Antoinette, known to most as Dolly, was born in Detroit, MI on August 5, 1930. She is preceded in death by her father Antonio Alicio Aler, mother Grace Valerio Aler, and daughter Rebecca. Of her many creative pursuits, her first love was art. A naturally talented and accomplished visual artist, she earned her Associates in Fine Arts in Illinois, and continued university courses in San Antonio. Her professors wanted to keep some of her artwork, but particularly cherished pieces stayed in the family. She created hundreds of drawings and paintings in pen and ink, pencil, pastels, charcoal, acrylic, oil, paper, and magic marker, and multimedia. She is survived by her husband, Richard; children Matthew, Michael, Terace, Rachel, and Timothy; and six grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Luz Minerva and close childhood friend, Gloria. Her husband, father, brothersin-law, and four of her children served in the armed forces; air force, army, and navy. Dolly’s education extended far beyond fine arts with decades of higher education as well as her own immersive independent explorations. She appreciated her professors so much, she retook some courses multiple times. Dolly had a keen sense of humor and was extremely social. Her favorite times in life were spent with family and friends whom she deeply loved. An inspiration to all who knew her, she will be greatly missed daily as she continues her journey through the Universe. Dolly was a devout Roman Catholic and servant of Blessed Mother. Raised Methodist, she was inspired to convert by close friends and Saints Bernadette and Thérèse de Lisieux. She prayed the Rosary daily, meditated, and lived a selfless life. Her proudest accomplishments are large and stunning Egyptian and Estruscan murals painted throughout the walls of her home with hieroglyphs and cartouches honoring her marriage and life. An avid fiber artist, including seamstressing, knitting, and crocheting, she created dozens of family heirlooms. She had expertise in Native American and Egyptian history, culture, art, religion, and could interpret hieroglyphs. She was a birdwatcher and amateur ornithologist. Her quest to learn about the world, and her innate love of meeting and learning from new people led to extensive travel with Richard, her family, and friends. Dolly was an administrative assistant at General Motors Headquarters in Detroit before becoming the primary caregiver for her children. She instilled morals, kindness, etiquette, and discipline. She was instrumental in their education, and heavily involved with their extracurriculars. An acute listener, she helped them through any problem. She was a mentor outside the family as well, treating her children’s friends as generously as her own. She was a leader of Camp Fire Girls and the largest Boy Scout troop in northern Illinois. She served in the Civil Air Patrol with Richard and her eldest sons, and was cheerleading supervisor at her daughter’s high school. She introduced her young children and grandchildren to the arts She was an amazing cook and baker. Each member of the family had a favorite dish; her gingerbread boys and plum pudding were absolute musts at Christmas. She traveled throughout the United States and Europe from Morocco to Norway, from England to Turkey. She never missed an art museum or cultural center in every city she visited. She spoke Spanish and Italian, and was guide, educator, and interpreter. Her favorite European cities were Paris, Rome, and Oslo. From a young age she wrote poetry, receiving the Poetry Award in high school in Detroit. She loved dancing and music was extremely important to her, especially Motown and jazz. She cultivated an intuitive understanding of jazz, and an emotional attachment to it and her favorite artists.