Our beloved mother, Catherine O'Keeffe Gibbons, age 95, passed away peacefully on June 1, 2023, at her home in Knoxville, TN where she had lived for the last three years. Catherine was born in County Cork, Ireland on January 11, 1928, the youngest of 9 children of Jeremiah and Catherine O'Keeffe.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Francis, "Frank," Gibbons, and by her 8 brothers and sisters.  She is survived by her three children; Dr. Mark Gibbons and his wife Dr. Janice Gibbons of Paris, TX; daughter Cynthia Tzetzo of Houston; and daughter Amy Midis and her husband Dr. Greg Midis of Knoxville, TN. In addition, Catherine is survived by her grandchildren Daniel, Matthew, Luke, Hannah, Annie, and Mary Grace Gibbons, and Lattie and Megan Midis, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Catherine met her husband, Frank, at the single's group at St. Anne's Catholic Church and were married for almost 53 years before his death in 2016. Catherine was a lifelong, devout Catholic and enjoyed attending daily mass at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church where she and Frank were one of the founding members in 1982. Catherine also worked as a Radiologist Technologist until the age of 82 when she retired to become a fulltime caregiver for Frank during the last 6 years of his life. Catherine was well respected as an "X-Ray Tech" by the doctors and fellow employees for her hard work, dedication, and commitment to her job. She worked for only a few doctors during her 50 plus year career in the medical field and was viewed by many as irreplaceable.

Catherine, or "Kitty" as she was affectionately known by her birth family, will be sorely missed. She was the pillar of strength and sacrifice for her family, and displayed an everlasting commitment to her Catholic faith, which she saw as the greatest gift she could leave her children. Her sweet Irish brogue and beautiful smile will forever be embedded in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to your favorite charity in Catherine's name.