John Cyrus Gilbreath III

John Cyrus Gilbreath III, age 71, passed away on Jan. 6, 2014, at his home in Farmington, Ark. He was born Aug. 22, 1942, in Nowata, Okla.; was raised in Fayetteville, Ark., and Stillwater, Okla. He was a graduate of Stillwater High School and East Los Angeles College with a degree in nursing. His greatest love was the care and well-being of those entrusted to his care. He worked full time as a registered nurse and certified rehabilitation nurse for 38 years, from 1969 to 2007. He retired in April 2002 from the U.S. Navy Reserve after 26 years, having served during the Vietnam era and during Desert Storm on active duty as a senior chief hospital corpsman. He was a Life DeMolay since 1957, and held the degrees of Legion of Honor, Cross of Honor, Chevalier and many others. He served as an advisor of the Corpus Christi (Texas) Chapter and District Governor of the Gulf Coast for Texas DeMolay, and advisor at large for Arkansas DeMolay. He was an endowed Master Mason of Oso Naval Lodge #1282, Corpus Christi, Texas, and of Occidental Lodge #436, Prairie Grove, Ark., and Baghdad Lodge #1 IRAQ; an endowed member of National Sojourners, (J.J. Harris Chapter in Corpus Christi, Texas, and NWA club) and the Heroes of '76; and a member of the Knights of St. Andrew. He was also an endowed member of Independence Chapter #1044 Order of the Eastern Star in Corpus Christi, Texas, and of Prairie Grove Chapter #491 OES in Prairie Grove, Ark. He was a member of the Chapter, Council and Commandery of the York Rite Masonic Temple. He enjoyed growing plants, building things with wood and working with Masonic youth programs. He is survived by the true love of his life, his wife, Marcia of Farmington, Ark.; his father, John C. Gilbreath Jr. of Stillwater, Okla.; three wonderful sons, John C. Gilbreath IV of San Angelo, Texas, Christopher Shane Gilbreath and wife, Raquel, of Portsmouth, Va., and Matthew Ian Gilbreath and wife, Lisa, of Corpus Christi, Texas; four grandchildren, John C. Gilbreath V of Little Rock, Ark., Kaitlyn C. Turner, Kristen L. Turner and Sebastian A. Gilbreath of Portsmouth, Va.; one stepsister, Barbara Gulley of Oklahoma City, Okla.; one stepbrother, Jay Beltz of El Cajon, Calif.; and numerous cousins. The family will receive friends Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, from noon to 1 p.m., with the memorial service to begin at 1 p.m. at Luginbuel Chapel in Prairie Grove, Ark. Online guest book at www.luginbuel.com. Memorials may be made to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, 4703 N. Crossover Road, Fayetteville, AR 72703.