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NSPE Past President Robert C. Gibson, P.E., F. NSPE, age 87, died on February 20, 2025, surrounded by his family in Blacksburg, Virginia. His contributions to the engineering profession and as a leader in the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers and NSPE were profound.

He is survived by a sister, Joan Lippold; a brother, William Gibson; daughters, Anne Lawson, Katherine Gibson (and their mother Sue Gibson Farrar), Ashley Zehrt, Hayley Owens (and their mother Joan Zehrt); stepchildren, Jamie Meriwether, William Meriwether and Missy Dulin; grandsons, Franklin Lawson and Kevin Lawson; and a great granddaughter, Madison Lawson.

Gibson was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 6, 1937, to Nellie Gray Godfrey and James Erwin Gibson. He grew up in Norfolk and was an overachiever all his life. He graduated from Granby High School in 1953 and in 1954, he received the Outstanding Teenager Tidewater Award from the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1961 with a mechanical engineering degree and entered the US Army that same year. He served his country for eight years, including in the Army Reserves.

Gibson is quite the role model and will serve as a lasting example of what it means to truly elevate the profession throughout one’s lifetime. He started his engineering career at Clark Nexsen in 1961, an architectural engineering firm that under his leadership grew to be ranked in the top 20 of A/E firms in the US. He became a firm partner in 1979 and was named Virginia Engineer of the Year the same year. In 1985, he received a promotion to serve as president and CEO. Under Gibson’s guidance, the firm won 11 notable design awards.

Gibson served as a solid champion for so many people. He ensured that promising engineers were uplifted and prepared to succeed professionally and in service to our society. He left a lasting impression on NSPE Past President Chris Stone, P.E., F.NSPE, who also rose up the ranks at Clark Nexsen. "When Bob retired in 2000, I was honored to be selected to follow him as president of Clark Nexsen. These were big shoes to fill. I was the first structural engineer Bob hired at Clark Nexsen, in 1993. I spent years learning alongside Bob and shared his passion for both technical excellence and service to the profession," Stone stated on Gibson’s memorial tribute wall.

Stone added, "It is no exaggeration to say that the culture of mentorship and leadership at Clark Nexsen today exists because of Bob. His fingerprints are everywhere in how we support our colleagues, in how we show up for our clients, and in how we think about the future of design and engineering."

Gibson’s leadership extended throughout NSPE and the engineering community. He was president of the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, president of NSPE from 1988-89, and chairman of the National Institute of Building Sciences from 1991-93.

As the president of NSPE, Gibson whole heartedly supported the Society’s mission to the protect the public health, safety, and welfare through responsible and ethical engineering practice. During his time in national leadership, NSPE focused on the engineering workforce’s role in technological innovation and its contributions to the nation’s ability to compete in a global economy. The Society also took on opportunities to bolster the engineering talent pipeline and strengthen engineering education.

Gibson fostered the next generation of engineering leadership through his service on the NSPE Education Foundation and the Steinman Council. University and industry advisory boards also benefited from his valuable expertise.

Gibson received several honors over the years, which included fellow membership in the Institute of Engineers in Ireland (1987) and recognition as an Eminent Engineer Member of Tau Beta Pi. He received the Member of the Year Award from the National Institute of Building Sciences (1998) and was inducted into the Virginia Tech College of Engineering’s Academy of Engineering Excellence (2002). In the Blacksburg community, Gibson served as president of the Kiwanis Club and was active in the Torch Club and the Blacksburg Christian Church.