F-16s will mark rites for distinguished military flier

Retired colonel Ralph D. "Hoot" Gibson, a Korean War flying ace and former lead pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who founded a local real estate firm after leaving the military, died in an accident on Jan. 2.

Still active at Hoot Gibson Realty at age 84, Gibson fell and hit his head on a rock while showing a piece of property to prospective buyers, his son said.

A personable man who rubbed elbows with the likes of Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson, Gibson amassed scores of honors in his military life but never boasted about his past, said son Scott Gibson, 52.

"He was proud of his service but he didn't gloat. He was just always moving forward."

Nicknamed "Hoot" after a cowboy actor popular in the 1930s, Gibson joined the military in 1943 and earned his ace status by shooting down five MiG jets over Korea. He also served in Japan after World War II, flew F-4 Phantoms in Vietnam and led the Thunderbirds team in the early 1960s, his son said.

The pilot's exploits earned him a long list of medals, including two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star for valor, a Meritorious Service Medal, 14 Air Medals and an Air Force Commendation Medal. He also was a member of two aviation halls of fame, in Arizona and in Illinois, where he was born.

Stationed at Tucson's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in the late 1960s, where he served as deputy director of operations, Ralph Gibson returned to the city with his family in 1974 after retiring from the service. Since then, he was active in more than a dozen military and community groups, from the Thunderbirds Alumni Association to the Pima Air and Space Museum.

At every stage of life, Ralph Gibson was known for taking newcomers under his wing and showing them the ropes, his son said.

"A lot of people have said that my father was the one who gave them their start," Scott Gibson said. "He was always giving to people, supporting people. He touched thousands of lives."

Ralph Gibson also is survived by his wife, Donna; sons, Duane and Craig; sister Opal Hamm; brother Will Gibson and four grandchildren.

His funeral is at 10 this morning at Christ Community Church, 7801 E. Kenyon Drive, with burial at East Lawn Palms Cemetery, 5801 E. Grant Road.