Janice White Gibbs, age 71, of Hayden, Alabama, passed away peacefully at home with her family at her side on July 29, 2026.

She was born on January 29, 1955, in Birmingham, Alabama, to John Thomas Alexander White and Myrtle Irene Pike White, the youngest of seven children.

Jan had a talent for creating things. She was a natural seamstress and studied upholstery, photography, horticulture, and interior design at Jefferson State Community College. When she accepted a spontaneous invitation to a basketball game with some friends, she met the love of her life Sam Wilson Gibbs. They married on June 16, 1979, and shared 47 wonderful years together as husband and wife. She was a devoted mother to their children: Victoria Katherine (Katie), Laura Elizabeth (Beth), and Matthew Stephen Gibbs. Jan loved her children fiercely, and she was their biggest advocate. She raised them to love Jesus, to be fearless, and to work hard in every endeavor. With her unwavering faith in the LORD, she surrounded her family with prayer and guided them to grow in their faith.

Jan worked as a devoted homemaker, seamstress, caterer, and master gardener. Jan shared her wealth of knowledge about sewing, baking, cooking, and gardening with countless others. She gave private sewing lessons for many years, and she could devise a pattern for anything she saw with a bit of study and time in her sewing room. Jan loved to teach her children the science of baking and the art of cooking. She could work out a recipe with just a taste. Jan earned her certification as a Master Gardener and happily shared tips for caring for day lilies, hydrangeas, and vegetable gardens.

Jan enjoyed spending time with her family at concerts, NHRA drag races, football games, and the beaches of the Gulf coast. She was always keen to take an adventure traveling to new places. She was an artful quilter and lover of featherweight sewing machines. She sought every opportunity to learn new sewing, embroidery, and quilting techniques. Jan loved her annual trip to Paducah, KY, to the quilt show with her friend, also named Janice.

Her legacy will live on in all the lessons taught to her children, how she never met a stranger, and the deep love and dedication to her family.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, J.T. & Myrtle White; her sisters, Doris McDonald and Barbara McAuley.

She is survived by her husband, Sam; her children, Katie (Nicholas Johnson), Beth, and Matthew; her step-grandchildren, Cody and Mia Johnson; her brothers, Howard, Alton, Dixon, and Robert White; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held on August 3, 2026, at Messmer-Goodwin Funeral Home, 225 Dana Road, Warrior, Alabama. Visitation will be from 12:00pm until 1:00pm, and a celebration of life service will follow, officiated by Pastor Josh Pierce, Dream Team Director at Church of the Highlands Fultondale Campus.