Chuck Gibbons
A True Loss For Boxing
December 22, 1925 - August 20, 2006
By Faith Wolfley

Chuck Gibbons, who trained local fighters for generations, passed away Aug. 20, 2006. He was 80. Gibbons was the epitome of what amateur boxing is about - a man with a big heart that taught boxing skills and life skills.

In an interview this past January, Gibbons recalled the days of the Ellwood City Police Boxing Club at the Sons of Italy on Lawrence Avenue.

"We would be working with the kids upstairs - and I'm pretty sure we were shaking the chandeliers downstairs," said Gibbons. When asked about the beginnings of the boxing club, he quipped, "I guess I've been involved with it about 20 years."

To say that Gibbons, who was inducted into both the Beaver and Lawrence County halls of fame, has touched the world of boxing for "only two decades" would be like saying Muhammad Ali was a flash in the pan.

A 1943 Lincoln High School graduate, he received a master's degree from Westminster College. He then worked in the steel industry and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before teaching at New Castle High School for 35 years.

While coaching other sports, he also boxed and coached boxing for over 30 years with the Ellwood City Police Boxing Club. He was inducted into the USA Boxing/Allegheny Mountain Association Hall of Fame in January 2006.

Although Chuck Gibbons was very successful in life, his successes will continue in the lives of the young people he touched through the sport of boxing.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ruth E. Crawford Gibbons, and by three sons and five daughters.

USA Boxing Inc.
Allegheny Mountain Association
(412) 257-9868