Obituary of James Michael Gibson

James Michael Gibson, 60, of the Lauada Community in Bryson City, NC, went to heaven to be with his Lord and Savior on May 14, 2021. Mike was a loved and active member of his church and community. He was strong in his faith and was a longtime member of Deep Creek Baptist Church. He enjoyed singing at church with his daughter Sarah. He retired from the NC Department of Transportation after 32 years of service and was currently employed with Rance Adams Contracting in Robbinsville where he enjoyed driving the "big" trucks. He was a lifelong resident of Swain County and loved the mountains of western NC. Mike was preceded in death by his father James Harvey "JH" Gibson, paternal grandparents Wayne and Sarah Cooper Gibson, maternal grandparents Ernest and Essie Keith Smiley, uncle Coy Calhoun, nephew Justin Cochran, and special cousin/best friend Mitchell Smiley. Mike will be loved and remembered by his loving wife of more than 36 years Beth Cochran Gibson, daughter Sarah Gibson Minuto and husband Sean, mother Marjorie "Pete" Smiley Gibson, brother Jeremy Gibson, uncle Ed Gibson, aunt Nancy Gibson, aunt Colleen Calhoun, uncle Paul Smiley and Barbara, aunt Anne Smiley, uncle Bill Smiley and Mary, father- in-law Doug Cochran, step-father and mother-in-law Wade and Helen Woodard. He is also survived by nephews Aedan Gibson, Adam Cochran, and Tyler Cochran; nieces Aerielle Gibson, Heather Cochran Griffith (John), Haley Aldridge (Jesse) and Crystal Cochran; great nephews Zane Griffith and Stahle Wyatt; brothers-in-law Jeff (Donna) Cochran and Randy Cochran; sister-in-law Debbie (Roger) DeHart; special friends Thomas and Frances Cloer; many cousins; a loving and supportive church family; and many close friends. Mike loved to hunt and fish but mostly loved spending time with Beth, Sarah, and Sean, and visiting with family. He enjoyed hiking at Deep Creek Park and visiting his mom at Mountain View Manor. Mike recently told someone that he had been married for 36 years and he loved his wife more than ever. Other friends have mentioned that his eyes twinkled when talking about Beth and Sarah. Mike loved Beth and Sarah with his whole heart and we believe that love never fades. He was so proud of Sarah for the person she has grown to be. He had a good sense of humor, enjoyed listening to country music, and had a very generous and caring heart. Mike will be missed so much by his family, church family, and friends. While we may never understand the tragic circumstances of his passing, we know that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, one of Mike's favorite bible verses, 2 Corinthians 5:8. Mike is praising the Lord and visiting with family and friends gone before him. Beth hopes that Mike is fishing from heaven's bank with his dad and Mitchell. Please continue to pray for Beth and Sarah as they grieve, but also celebrate Mike's life. The unfinished plans are hard to bear. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 7th at 3 pm at Deep Creek Baptist Church. Pastors Tim Barker, James "Bear" Lambert, Kenny Ball, and Mike Cogdill will officiate. The family will receive friends from 1-3 pm at the Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests charitable contributions be made to Deep Creek Baptist Church.