02/13/2026
(1926-2026). Mrs. Gibson, a lifelong health care advocate and the guiding light of the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, Inc., died in her home Wednesday, surrounded by family and her priest. She was 99.
Mrs. Gibson, a University of Miami ex-officio trustee emerita, began her nursing career as a U.S. Cadet Nurse, devoting three decades to the profession as a trailblazer in her field. In her lifetime of service, she also became a health department administrator, an interim city commissioner, a business woman, an investor and a giant among Miami-Dade community leaders.
The School of Nursing and Health Studies family is forever grateful for Mrs. Gibson's unwavering support as a cherished member of the Dean's Visiting Committee. We will miss her ever-present light and send our most sincere condolences to her many loved ones grieving at this time.
Read more about Mrs. Gibson's momentous life and contributions in this 2019 tribute: https://www.miamitimesonline.com/news/local/coconut-grove-celebrates-civil-rights-leader-thelma-gibson-s-99-years-of-service/article_a73963ff-26a8-45e1-8916-7aa348ee32db.html
