Laureta Clare Gibbs

Passed Away on September 9, 2024

Place of Birth: Long Beach, CA Date of Birth: February 13, 1935

Laureta Gibbs, nee Bellows, was born in Long Beach, California, on February 13, 1935. The youngest of three sisters, the trio was known for their dance and instrumental performances. She graduated from Wilson High School and went on to attend Long Beach City College completing her Bachelor of the Arts at California State University Long Beach. She was an active Camp Fire Girl which led her to working as a Camp Counselor for several summers. An accomplished cellist, she played with the Long Beach Symphony before beginning a career in education as an elementary school teacher.

In 1956, Laureta married the love of her life, Joseph “Joe” Gibbs and together they raised and celebrated their four children, Adrea, Greg, Brian, and Matthew, all born in Arcadia, California where the family lived for sixteen years before moving to Rancho Bernardo, California. While in Arcadia, Laureta and Joe were active members of the Church of the Good Shepard United Methodist Church, participating in Marri-Mates, and Laureta singing in the choir. She enjoyed taking classes at Creative Arts Group in Sierra Madre, and somehow managed to coordinate not only her activities but the driving of all four kids to swimming, soccer, ballet, Blue Birds, Cub Scouts (where she was a leader), Girl Scouts (where she was also a leader), piano lessons, and various and sundry school programs. Though she stopped teaching when she and Joe started their family, she returned as a Teacher’s Aide for multiple years at Camino Grove Elementary School. She loved traveling and camping with her family, having a particular fondness for trips along Highway 101, the Redwoods, Highway 49, and Yosemite.

After sixteen years in Arcadia, the family moved to Rancho Bernardo, CA., where Laureta became involved in a local volleyball league and as a coach for the RB Soccer Association. Through their daughter Adrea, both Joe and Laureta became involved in the California Junior Miss Scholarship Program, taking on the roles of Regional Directors for San Diego. Laureta also worked as part of the stage crew for the state production for more than a decade and was inducted into the California Junior Miss Hal of Fame for her tremendous contributions to the organization. Subsequent years saw Joe and Laureta move to Marian del Rey, then Simi Valley, where Laureta began first as a volunteer with at the Ronald Reagan Library at its opening before transitioning to a role working in the archives.

Joe and Laureta finally had their traveling dreams come true when they became the proud owners of their Lazy Daze RV, fondly named “Tilly.” They loved being on the road with their Lazy Daze Roadrunner Club, often taking their grandson Mitchell along for the ride. They created the Highway Hugs program which collected teddy bears and stuffed animals to be carried by California Highway Patrol Cars for distribution to children impacted by trauma, a program supported by their Lazy Daze community and inspired by their son, Matt, a CHP officer. They became “full-timers” when moving to Jojoba Hill RV Resort in Aguanga, CA. Laureta continued her volunteerism at Jojoba, including working as the Correspondence Secretary for the organization, knitting baby caps for a neonatal program, and donating sewn items for various area projects. She loved being a part of the Rancho California Chapel congregation.

Following a stroke late in 2020, Laureta moved to Reno, Nevada with her daughter and son-in-law, continuing to enjoy exploring the region, traveling on Highway 395, summer trips to the Pacific Northwest, taking art classes, and attending theatre performances. Her final gift to her family, completed a week and a day prior to her passing, was a tile she painted featuring a cardinal in flight that will be included in the Mural Mosaic Project in 2025.

Laureta is survived by her daughter, Adrea, and sons, Gregory and Brian, son-in-law, Shaka, daughters-in-law, Robin and Ellen, sister, Ruth, brother-in-law, Claude, grandsons Mitchell, Drake, and Griffin, granddaughters Hunter and Skyler, and her Fenner and Gibbs clan nieces and nephews. Laureta was preceded in death by husband Joe and youngest child, Matt. She passed on September 9, 2024, as her daughter held her hand and gently sang “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made in Laureta’s name to Living Free Animal Sanctuary, Idyllwild, CA. A celebration of life is being organized and those wishing to join and honor her will be able to see details on Laureta Gibbs Facebook page.