Mr Gibson, who was 57 years old and born in Yorkshire, came to Phuket nine years ago, as he once explained it to The Phuket News, “The first reason was a bad divorce. The second was the land of the smiling face and the small bottom. I just love beautiful women.”
This was, in a very real sense, a new beginning for him. He started off as an excellent golf player, at one time the youngest PGA professional in the UK.
Realising that he didn’t have the skills to make it to the top he diverted his knowledge into bespoke manufacturing and repair of gold clubs. This career brought him into contact with many of the sport’s greats, including including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros and Ben Crenshaw.
Friend and colleague Neal Avery, who arrived in Phuket 10 years ago, got to know Mr Gibson through the Phuket Expat Golf Society and, when Mr Gibson bought the Yorkshire Inn, was persuaded to run it as GM.
“He was fascinating – the most positive individual. He never saw anything as impossible,” Mr Avery said today.
The positive attitude paid off for the hotel, which was massively expanded and upgraded, and became very successful.
“He’ll be sorely missed. A unique character,” said Mr Avery. It seems that every person he met, Thai or foreigner, he left their lives richer.
“He was one of life’s characters, taken from us far too soon.”
Fellow golfer and former bar owner David Brook, said, “It’s very sad news indeed. I met him early on in his time here – we had a mutual interest in golf – and he had a great sense of humour and was very knowledgeable about the hotel industry. I’m very sad to see him go.”
Another friend of many years was Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukkaban. “I’ve know him for a long time,” he said today.
“He was a good guy with a good heart. Every year on Children’s Day he would give 100 bicycles for distribution to children in Patong, and when he had a star staying with him – a football player or someone like that – he would arrange for them to meet with the local kids.”
One of Mr Gibson’s oldest friends was Ian Morgan. “I’ve known him for the best part of 35 years, from being professional golfers in Leeds together to going on golf holidays together.
“We go back a long way.
“He did a great job and turned the Yorkshire Inn into a great hotel and leisure facility.
“Back then he didn’t really know much about hotels or anything like that. I helped him with the marketing of the hotel.
“I stopped working for him three years ago, but we kept in touch, I Skyped with him just a few days ago.”
“With his charity work, and what he did for the kids, it’s a great loss...”
Mr Gibson’s funeral will be held in the UK on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday next week, Mr Avery said, and after he returns from that something will be organised in Phuket in his memory.
“We have 62 staff and they’ve been hit very hard by the news. We’ll see what they would like to do.”