Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi House members are remembering their late colleague, Rep. David Gibbs, as a quiet man who cared deeply about his community.

The 76-year-old Democrat from West Point died of cancer this past Sunday. Lawmakers held a brief memorial service Thursday at the Capitol, and the funeral is 11 a.m. Saturday at Third Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church in West Point.

Gibbs was first elected to the House in 1993 after he served as a Lowndes County supervisor. During his time in the House, he was chairman of the County Affairs Committee and vice chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

"He didn't care if you were black, white, Republican, Democrat, rural or urban. David was the same to all of us," recalled Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson.

Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier said Gibbs was even-tempered when lawmaking became stressful — something that Read conceded he can't say about himself.

"I never heard the man utter a cross word," Read said.

Banks and Read also were elected to the House in 1993.

Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, said that during debates, she would sometimes return to her desk on the House floor only to find others sitting in her chair and chatting with lawmakers nearby. Gibbs would stand up and offer Clarke his seat so she wouldn't have to wait for a conversation to finish.

Clarke, an Alcorn State University alumna, said Gibbs helped make sure the university's agriculture programs received enough money.

"Alcorn is going to miss him," she said.

Gibbs rarely went to the front of the House to speak during debates, but people listened when he did because they knew he had thought deeply about what he'd say, said Rep. Bo Eaton, D-Taylorsville.

"If he thought something was right, he would just stand up for it," Eaton said.