Obituary of Arthur L. Gibford

ARTHUR L GIBFORD, SR AUGUST 14, 1945 to OCTOBER 12, 2014 Arthur L Gibford was born, August 14, 1945 in Hollywood California. He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1963. In 1964, Art joined the Army, serving both active and reserve duty for 39 years, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer (W4). During his military service, Art served in the Viet Nam and Desert Storm conflicts. Along with his military service, Art served the City of Los Angeles for 33 years. He began as a Traffic Officer and retired as a Lieutenant training officers for the Department of Transportation. During his 69 years, Art touched many lives, from the clerk at the 7/11 on the corner to US Army Generals. With his sense of humor and gregarious personality everyone he met was drawn to him. He maintained many long term friendships with his childhood, military and law enforcement friends throughout his life. Art continued to serve after retirement, coordinating and facilitating many events for retired veterans. He also worked for the government securing pre-employment background security checks. He enjoyed watching sports, spending time with his family and regular visits to Las Vegas. After a long, arduous 10 year battle with cancer, Art passed away peacefully in his home, leaving behind his devoted wife, Fran, his loving son & daughter in law, Arthur Jr and Jessica, as well as, a plethora of friends. Art will be missed and remembered forever. ___________________________________________________________ The following was found hand-written on a legal pad by Art. Spelling & Grammar are typed as written (spelling was not Art’s strong suit). The words in italics were crossed out by Art: A LITTLE ABOUT ME I’m gone now but I wanted these words read at my services. I want to thank all my friends who thru the years were always there for me, as I was for them when they needed support or some of my life’s wisdoms. (Gibfordian) Thoughts. When Friends or Co Workers leave after 20, 30 years, retire & move away I felt a big loss, a empty feeling. It took a while to adjust missing them. My work brought me a lot of acquaintances, but few friends, Rudy Carrasco, RC Smith, Jody Perez, Roger Gornick I considered Friends. My Military Career brought me some Very close Friends who I served with for 3 decades. I must say I enjoyed the Military more than I did the City, we respected our leaders who were military & educated. My Friends who I grew up with know for over 55 years, Ray Karr, Mike Monroe, Don Magaffee, Jim Gillespie, Rest in Peace Edd Scroggins. I always felt I had a droll sense of humor – Graphic Humor. Something just rang funny for me. I was born August 14, 1945 (VJD) at Hollywood Pres on Vermont. I grew up in Hollywood till age 4 to 6 where I spent 3 almost 4 years living in Las Vegas on The Strip in a trailer park. There were only The Dunes, Riviera, Tropicana, Last Frontier, Flamingo on a two lane highway. I watched the A Bomb tests sitting with other kids in the desert. Then it was back to Hollywood my dad’s work I’m seven. I forgot to mention while in Las Vegas I was the youngest paper boy to sell the Las Vegas Review Journal. I ran away from home and a mounted posse found me sleeping in the sewage duct in back of the Last Frontier Drive in Movie off The Strip approximately where The 15 Fwy is now. My mother was an Opera Singer and played the piano. My Dad he was a Maitre d` at the Hi Class Dinner Houses in Beverly Hills and Hollywood. For our short time in Las Vegas my dad worked at the Atomic Energy Flats cooking – A Bomb Testing Grounds. The boys club of Hollywood was central in my kid life, it kept me out of trouble where else can one meet Superman and sit on his shoulders, get to be on Kid Shows, Capt Zoom, Sheriff John and of course Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney and get a prize Oh yes I even had Capt Kangaroo show up at one of my birthdays. I went to Grant Elementary School on ______. Then to Le Conte Jr Hi on Bronson Ave then onto Hollywood High There were no fences around it you could walk across the street to Scrivners or Tiny Naylors Drive Inn. on La Brea Now it’s a Armed camp more like NATO – SADD. (And we had a lot of stars grad from there) (Not anymore). I didn’t have college in my future at the time so I joined The Army with my best friend Edd Scroggins June 8, 1964 – Both of us ended up in Germany till May 19 1967, They tried to send me to Viet Nam twice I was levied, but both times my orders were cancelled. Just Luck, I have no idea what happened. After Germany Edd & I stayed enlisted for 3 more years so we joined The Cal National Guard, Full Time SGTs for a year, I quit when I applied for a job with The City and got hired but stayed in the Nat Guard transferring to a Military Police Company. And yes, with Edd Scroggins each time we were getting promoted and Nam was still going on, we both transferred to the MP’s for a year then to Van Nuys Reserve Unit The years passed and in 1976 we joined a new start-up unit 337 MI (CI) in Pasadena it was there I made Friends for life attending Counter Intelligence School 6th Army Area Training School, Fort MacArthur, CA. In 1997 assigned to a Counter Intelligence Field Office for a month for Active Duty, and took this 1st Tour for 10 weeks with the 6 I TAAS as the schools operations SGT, and source for the Interrogation Courses and Subject for CI Interviews Course. Long Story Short I spent the rest of my Army Career with MI doing Numerous tours with the 337th MI Detachment and every summer with the Intelligence School, In 1980 I became Instructor certified and began to teach CI classes in 1986 I was commissioned Chief Warrant Office II I stayed in The Army until Dec 31, 2003 and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Four. And ended up being a course Manager in Counter Intell for several years. Guess you know it’s what I was most proud of in my lifes accomplishments, my work for The City of LA. I retired as a Lieutenant in charge of training for the DOT Parking Enforcement Aug 2005. In Oct of 2005 I started as a Contractor Investigator for 3 Government Agencies doing Background and Clearance Investigations. I stopped doing Interviews in May 2011 once I found out my prognosis was Not Good. I’ve been married Five Times, everyone needs a hobby, but my 5th wife Fran has been the best love I could of ever imagined She is my Rock The best MOM in the world to OUR SON Arthur JR They are my world I tear up as I write this portion because how much I will miss them. I wrote this April 26 while waiting for Frannie having a Procedure at Kaiser I know it might be a little premature I hope but wanted my friends and acquaintances to know my life. I had No hobbies except The Military My Interests were Las Vegas – Palm Springs and Any Indian Casino in The US. I think I was a pretty Good Dad, my Son accomplished a 5th degree Blk Belt Tae Kwon-do and 2nd Degree in Hap Kedo Yep it took dad to take him A Zillion times, AJ Earned an Eagle Scout and as I write this is going to Grad from College Dec 2011, and become a 2nd Lieutenant in The Army after 4 years College ROTC. Just a proud Dad. I want to write one last thing I love all my friends who I grew up with and made in The Army and at my work with The City Thanks for caring about me being my friend to My End. To Those Who Appreciated My Humor I’ll see you all on the other side. I hope. 4/26/11 Art Hopefully I have more than 2 yrs at best to live. because I crazy about my New Puppy Thor.