Gilbert W. "Gil" Irby 1926-2007

IRBY, LAND, SHEPARD, CRIPE, MOORE, MEYER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 3/21/2018 at 17:54:40

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Monday, December 3, 2007

Gilbert W. "Gil" Irby, 81, of Ennoble Manor, formerly of 2269 St. John's Dr., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at Ennoble Manor.

Services will be at noon Tuesday at Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home, 2659 Kennedy Road. Burial will be in Dubuque Memorial Gardens, south of Dubuque, where military rites will be accorded by the American Legion Post 6 of Dubuque. Friends may call after 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

He was born on Sept. 27, 1926, in Macon, Ga., son of Robert and Irene (Land) Irby. He married Nettie Shepard on Sept. 14, 1956; she preceded him in death on Jan. 9, 2005.

Gil lived most of his early years in Macon. He served with the Navy during World War II as an aviation machinist mate, stationed at Kaneohe Bay. Gil's love for flying continued after his discharge from the Navy. He worked various jobs flying airplanes, logging flight hours by crop dusting and inspecting power lines. He owned and operated a charter flight service in Harrison, Ark. As a certified flight instructor, he instructed the first woman pilot in Harrison.

Gil and Nettie moved to Dubuque in 1969, where he became a corporate pilot for Flexsteel Industries. Gil was an avid painter and a member of the Confederate Air Force (pilots who fly and maintain World War II airplanes). After retiring from Flexsteel, he continued as a flight instructor sharing his love of flying.

Surviving are his children, Susan (Daniel) Cripe, of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Pamela (Jeff Holz) Moore, of Cascade, Iowa, Victor (Marjorie) Irby, of Mobile, Ala., and Patsy Meyer, of Dubuque; his grandchildren, Sarah, Jesse, Annah, Dacy, Holly, Joann, Natalie, Christopher, Charles and Maria; and six great-grandchildren.

He also was preceded in death by a grandson, Timothy.

Memorials may be given to Hospice of Dubuque.

Online condolences may be left for the family at info@egelhofsiegertcasper.com.

The family wish to thank Dr. Ronald Schope, Dr. David Ringold and the staffs at Ennoble Manor and Home Instead Senior Care for their care and concern.