Willard Dewayne Gribbin

Willard Dewayne Gribbin, 74, of Owensboro passed away on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at his home. He was born in Taylor Co., Ky. on May 5, 1935 to the late Sylvester Lee and Mary Irene Vandyke Gribbin. He was a member of Christ Community Church and was a U. S. Air Force veteran having been stationed in Fairbanks Alaska as a heavy equipment operator. Willard and his wife Nancy moved to Louisville in 1960 where he started driving a truck for Mayflower Transit for the next two years. He then went to work driving for Bekins Van Lines for nine years from 1962 until 1971. While with Bekins, he was selected the first and only "Driver of the Year" in 1965 and also was their "Top Long Distance Driver" that same year. Also during that period of years, he became the head of all drivers carrying the what is now called the annual S.E.M.A. Car Shows to several cities across the nation concluding in Las Vegas. Later, Nancy and Willard co-owned and operated Schrecker Moving and Storage and Owensboro Van and Storage, and also later bought Rivertown Moving and Storage. In 1993, they co-founded and owned K B Kids Zone here in Owensboro where he became a "grandfather" to a lot of the kids there. He was a pilot owning his own planes and was a proud member of the Ayers Flying Club and Ayers Friday Night Supper Group. He was also a longtime member of the Owensboro Bass Club, the Owensboro Lions Club, and enjoyed visiting with his friends at the Days Inn Lunch Group and Deloris's Breakfast Group.

After retiring in 1996, he started a business named "Toys For Big Boys" where he customized and detailed Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He was a member of the Owensboro Masonic Lodge #130, a Shriner and member of the Rizpah Temple. He was a Shrine clown and was known as "Tupelo Joe" and drove a customized Bathtub he designed in many parades around in the area.

Surviving are his wife of 54 years, Nancy Gribbin, two daughters, Michelle Wallace-Whitlow and husband Brad of Owensboro and Darla and husband Rev. Mark Foglio of Lexington, two granddaughters, Krystal Henning and husband Chris, Brittany Robbins, and a great grandson Aidan Henning, all of Owensboro, two brothers, Douglas Gribbin of Boston, Ky. and Wendel Gribbin of Elizabethtown, a sister Brenda Howard of Maryville, Ky.

Services will be 2:00 P.M. Friday, June 5 at the Christ Community Church at 1220 Center Street.. Burial will follow in Rosehill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00-8:00 P.M. Thursday at Glenn Funeral Home with Masonic services at 7:00P.M. and after 12 Noon Friday at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Western Ky. 723 Harvard Dr., Owensboro, Ky. 42301 or to the Ronald McDonald House, P. O. Box 5381, Evansville, IN 47716.