William Albert Gibbons

William “Bill” Gibbons Jr., age 69, of Erie, MI, passed away in his sleep at home on June 19th, 2026, from complications of lung cancer.

Born on January 5th, 1957, in Toledo, OH, Bill was the beloved first child of William and Joan (Nagle) Gibbons. He attended St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School and Start High School before beginning a lifelong career defined by hard work, integrity, and service to others.

On July 21st, 1978, he married his devoted wife, Barbara Leitnick, and together they shared 47 years of marriage. Their life together was marked by community, faith, service, and resilience.

Bill was known for being a “helper” in all things; big or small, simple or complex, and in happy times or sad times. Simply put, he was someone you turned to in times of need when you wanted a job done right. He had an unwavering work ethic that was shown not only in providing for his family, but also countless hours of volunteer work at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Erie.

His leadership and selflessness was constantly on display in a variety of roles, including his time as the owner of Page Slotting Saw Inc., serving as the festival chairman for the St. Joseph Catholic Church Festival, or his commitment to charity through the Knights of Columbus as a Fourth Degree Knight. Bill was an honest man, sometimes to a fault, and he believed deeply in treating others fairly. He saw the good in people and stood firmly for what was right.

More than anything, Bill loved his family. He cherished time spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, and friends. He would share countless stories of his adventures with his uncles; Jim Nagle, John Nagle, Jim Gibbons, and Chuck Gibbons, which remained some of his favorite memories throughout his life.

Bill found joy in fishing, boating, hunting, camping, gardening, metalworking, involving himself in neighborhood projects regardless of if he was asked or not, and critiquing your favorite Detroit Tiger with an evening coffee in hand. His most precious moments were spent chatting with loved ones on the porch about anything and everything while being one with the nature and community that surrounded him. We take comfort in imagining Bill casting one more line from the deck he built, surrounded by the peace and beauty that brought him so much joy.

He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Jean Leitnick; children, Mary (Andrew) Gibbons-Georgevich and William (Maja) Gibbons; grandchildren: Silas Andrew Georgevich, Levi Francis Georgevich, and soon to arrive Charlotte Christa Gibbons; siblings, Lynn (Dennis) Whaley, Mike Gibbons, John Gibbons, Teri (Michael) Dashner, Julie (George) Turpening and David (Amy)

Gibbons; Aunt Beverly Demuth, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and dear friends. At the end of his life, Bill said, “I have had the best friends and family I could ever have had.”

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Cheryl.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Mercy Health for their compassionate care and support throughout cancer treatment; with special thanks to Perrysburg Hospital Infusion Center, the pharmacists at Perrysburg Hospital and St. Vincent Medical Center for their constant preparation and monitoring of medications, and Kendal, his oncology nurse navigator.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Erie, MI on Thursday, July 2nd, at 11 AM, with the recitation of the Rosary beginning at 10:15 AM. A luncheon will follow.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, Bill donated his body to science at UTMC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Connecting Kids to Meals at https://connectingkidstomeals.org/take-action/ways-to-give/.

Well done, good and faithful servant – Matthew 25:23