James C. "Jim" Gibbel

James C. Gibbel, 88, Lititz, passed peacefully from this earthly life into his heavenly home on July 10, 2026, at Brethren Village.

Born in Lancaster on February 8, 1938, Jim was the son of the late Henry Baker Gibbel and Lois Hershberger Gibbel. He was the loving husband of Elaine Moyer Gibbel for 51 years.

A lifelong resident of Lititz, Jim was a graduate of Lititz High School (last class) in 1956 and Juniata College in 1960.

As a conscientious objector to war, Jim followed God’s call into Brethren Volunteer Service in 1961. He served two years in Llano Grande, Quito, Ecuador, with the Church of the Brethren mission. This was truly a significant life-changing experience for this young man from Lititz.

Upon returning to Lititz in 1963, Jim continued as 3rd generation agent and owner in the family insurance business, Hershey & Gibbel which became Gibbel Insurance Agency in 1993. He retired in 2017 after leading the agency for 55 years.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine Moyer Gibbel; daughter Janice Sommerhoff (Udo), Lititz; son Joel Gibbel (Michele Moyer), York; son Ethan Gibbel (Meryl Reist), Lititz; five grandchildren: Micah and Danielle Gibbel, York; Finley, Emmett, and Shae Gibbel, Lititz.

Also surviving are sisters and brother: Joyce G. Biemesderfer, Henry H. Gibbel (Joan), Ruth Africa (Conan Raffensperger), sister-in-law Ann Gibbel, sister-in-law Sheila Doerr, sister-in-law Kathleen Good Moyer, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother John R. Gibbel, grandmother Florence Baker Gibbel, mother-in-law Esther F. Moyer Leatherman, brother-in-law George K. Biemesderfer, brother-in-law Ronald A. Moyer, sister-in-law Eileen Moyer Viau.

Jim was a gentle man of faith, with a peaceful spirit and a generous heart. He was a lifelong faithful member of Lititz Church of the Brethren, serving in many capacities – moderator, deacon, teacher, historian, delegate, peace counselor and more. Over many years Jim was very involved in helping Lititz Church of the Brethren welcome and assist refugees from various countries. He attended more than 50 Church of the Brethren Annual Conferences and was deeply involved in many aspects of church life and faith.

Boards on which Jim served reflect this loyalty as well as his investment in his community of Lititz: Lititz Public Library, Lititz Improvement, Ephrata National Bank, Brethren Peace Fellowship, On Earth Peace, Brethren Benefit Trust, Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center, Brethren Encyclopedia, and Brethren Disaster Relief Auction.

Family gatherings were always special to Jim: Gibbel gatherings, Moyer Camporees, holiday and birthday celebrations, Gibbel family weekend retreats at Camp Swatara. He enjoyed playing tennis and watching Jan, Joel and Ethan’s tennis matches. Hobbies included collecting Brethren books, watching sports, attending conferences and concerts, and eating ice cream!

Discovering new places, peoples and cultures, natural beauty - Jim loved it all! He enjoyed traveling with Elaine, family, friends and peace delegations. He visited 69 countries around the world, including all of Central America, all 50 states of the U.S., and most Canadian provinces.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Lititz Church of the Brethren, 300 West Orange Street, with family visitation at 1 PM. A reception will follow with time to share memories.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lititz Church of the Brethren (Educational Enrichment Fund) or Brethren Village Good Samaritan Fund, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543.