Nancy Lynne (Rohn) Gibson's Obituary
How does one put into a few paragraphs the life of a woman who, every time she walked into our homes, changed our lives for the better? She was a woman who loved her children and grandchildren more than life itself.
Nancy Lynne (Rohn) Gibson, age 89, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 4, 2026. She was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 11, 1937, to Robert and Dorothy Rohn. She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty-four years, James (Jim) F. Gibson, in 2020, and her older brother, David E. Rohn, in 2025.
Growing up, Nancy split her time between her childhood home in Ludington, Michigan, and the Florida Keys. She was a 1954 graduate of Ludington High School and attended the University of Michigan, majoring in piano performance. In 1956, she married Jim and embraced life as an Army wife, moving frequently. They started their family of five children in 1957 and later settled in Muskegon, Michigan, in 1967.
Nancy was a stay-at-home mom until the mid-1970s when she began working as an Administrative Assistant at the Lakeshore Lung Society, where she stayed for twenty-three years. A favorite responsibility of Nancy’s was bringing “Smokey Sam” to elementary schools throughout Muskegon County, where she passionately stressed the importance of living a healthy life and staying away from cigarettes.
Nancy instilled her deep love of music in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and was a dedicated member of the American Guild of Organists—Lakeshore Chapter. Many local churches were fortunate to have Nancy as their organist, including Sacred Heart and Saint Mary’s Catholic Churches, and Dr. Martin Luther Lutheran Church.
Nancy had many vibrant interests. An avid tennis fan, she would often set her alarm for 3:00 a.m. to watch her two favorites, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, battle on the court. As a long-time member of the Cloud Appreciation Society, she frequently admired the clouds forming over the Michigan landscape. Often serving as the family grammarian, she famously did not feel “all right” when things were written as “alright.”
She was a woman of delightful quirks, insisting on wearing her old L.L. Bean jacket with the broken zipper and her favorite rainbow-colored scarf instead of her new winter gear. Her kitchen was always closed on Sunday evenings, making a popcorn dinner a family staple and tradition. Nancy loved her drives to get ice cream and to look out over Lake Michigan.
She preferred her chocolate and cookies chilled in the freezer, and always took her wine with ice. Throughout the decades, Nancy reveled in reading books to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, with favorites including Winnie-the-Pooh, Frog and Toad, and especially The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear.
Nancy is survived by her children: Kate Bourdon Downie (Keith), James D. Gibson (Marzena), David Gibson, Mary Powell, and Annie Coyne (Robert F.); ten grandchildren: Paul, Sarah, Josh, Camden, Riley, Ben, McKenna, Callahan, Keegan, and Kerrigan; five great-grandchildren: Miles, Russell, Elise, Oscar, and Jonas; several beloved nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.
May the sweetness, kindness, and love that Nancy gave so freely continue to live in the hearts of all who knew her.
The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids, the Poppen House in Muskegon, Harbor Terrace Senior Living in Muskegon, and Baldwin House Senior Living Lloyd’s Bayou in Spring Lake.
A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 AM Monday, July 27, 2026 at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 Harvey Street, Norton Shores, MI 49444. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Cadillac, MI. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: Autism Support of West Shore or the Leila and Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence. Sign the online guestbook at https://www.sytsemafh.com
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