Dwight Gilpin (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Dwight Roland Gilpin, son of George and Marie Arnold Gilpin, was born October 10, 1933, in Buffalo, Missouri. He departed this life Thursday, June 3, 2010, at White Ridge Health Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, at the age of seventy-six years, seven months and twenty-four days.
On June 30, 1957, he was united in marriage to Joy May Piper and to this union two daughters were born.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers, Lloyd, George Arnold, and Lawrence Gilpin.
Dwight is survived by his wife, Joy, of the home; their two daughters, Terrin Gilpin Pabst, and her husband, Damon, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Trisha Gilpin Suddarth, of O’Fallon, Missouri; two brothers, Gene Gilpin, and his wife, Bonnie, of Concordia, Missouri, and Ronald Gilpin, and his wife, Lavonne, of Buffalo, Missouri; a sister, Shirley Triplett, and her husband, Paul, of Pleasanton, California; four special grandchildren, Zachariah and Ruth Ann Suddarth and Josiah and Robert Gage Pabst; several nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and many friends.
Dwight attended Buffalo High School, graduating in the Class of 1952. From 1954 until 1956, he served in the United States Army with training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, and spent the remainder of his service in Ft. Lewis, Washington. After returning to Buffalo, he began working in the LP gas business. He started at S.P. Gas in Buffalo and later worked in Camdenton, Waynesville and Lebanon. In 1963, he became one of three charter employees of Empire Gas Corporation in Lebanon, and remained there until it sold in early 1996. He then continued working with Robert Plaster at Evergreen Investments until his retirement in 2003. In 2005, he and Joy moved to Wentzville, Missouri, and in August of 2009, they moved to their present home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
While living in Lebanon, Dwight and Joy were members of Phillipsburg Christian Church. Upon moving to Wentzville, they became members and served with Tri County Christian Church. In Lee’s Summit, they were unable to participate with a church due to Dwight’s failing health. They have many wonderful Christian friends in the Lebanon, Wentzville and Lee’s Summit areas.
He and Joy enjoyed traveling to many places in the continental U.S., working in their home and garden and spending time with their children and those special grandchildren.
Dwight will be respectfully and fondly remembered by his family, friends and acquaintances as a man of God evidenced by his integrity, kindness, generosity, eagerness to serve and intense love for his wife and family. He spent time with God daily, even during his final days in their home. He was a man of few words but the words he chose were timely. He often would advice many a problem of life by such poignant phrases as, “It’ll all come out in the worsh”. Dwight tackled everything he attempted with skill, knowledge and ingenuity.
When he was exceptionally mad, Joy and the girls knew because he would say the harshest words contained in his vocabulary: “You silly, two-bit, no-good outfit.” They then knew to flee the area with haste. Dwight had a beautiful singing voice and often sang to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. It also was common for him to rewrite the lyrics to fit the situation.
He will be sorely missed in this life but eagerly waiting for us on heaven’s golden shores. Finally, a lasting word of his to live by, “Always finish what you start”. This he successfully accomplished.
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