It is with GREAT sadness we report the passing of Mrs. Shirley Gibson, a constant and unyielding supporter of the Washington, DC Police Memorial and Museum. Shirley is the mother of Master Patrol Officer Brian Gibson, who was killed in the line of duty in 1997.
It was Shirley’s words that kept our goals alive at the DC Memorial.
A founding member of the DC Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), she often told about her travels across the U.S. and her visits to memorials by other police departments while serving as the national president of C.O.P.S.
She would say when she landed on the tarmac, she was greeted by the local police. Right off, they would tell her they wanted to take her to THEIR police memorial before going to meet their Chief. They were always so proud. She would marvel at their memorial, always pristine, with the names of the fallen. Consequently, she walked away with the same question each time: Why can’t the DC Metropolitan Police Department – the police department for our Nation’s Capital – have such a memorial?
Instead, we have an old and worn memorial fountain in dire need of repairs. She would emphasize that we need our own Police Memorial with the names of our own fallen.
Thanks in great part to Shirley Gibson, these wishes are coming true. I wish we could have built it before she passed, but I always kept her abreast of our status. We are now in the final stages of the construction drawings and the renovation of the police memorial fountain. The new police Memorial Wall with all the names of our fallen, will be built.
We are proud to be able to say Shirley Gibson was a friend and mother to all police officers. May the Lord bless you and keep you under His Wing. Using her words to me, she said, “Lets Make This Happen”. We Will.
Don Blake, President and Founder
Washington, DC Police Memorial and Museum
Take a moment to listen to Shirley Gibson talk about the importance of the Memorial:
Donate in Shirley's Honor
To honor Shirley Gibson, her son Brian and all the MPD officers who have died in the line of duty, please donate in her name to the DC Police Memorial.
Notes: The button below takes you to PayPal to donate. You do not need to use a PayPal account. Simply choose the option to use a credit card instead.
**To leave a dedication for Shirley Gibson, please wait several seconds at the end of the donation process and PayPal will direct you to the Dedication Form.