by John Boch
America has lost a patriot and a great American.
Chris “The Guy” Gibb lost his fight with long-time illness and passed away this past weekend, far too soon at just two days shy of his 42nd birthday.
The Guy became in involved in Guns Save Life in about 2004 as his thirst grew for promoting gun rights and shooting with the public. He served for a two-year term as a director of Guns Save Life.
Sadly for us, a new program caught his eye in 2006. He jumped in with both feet, traveling to Ramseur, North Carolina to learn more. He then brought his newfound skills and knowledge back to Illinois to share with us over a couple of meetings. 
We at Guns Save Life were sorry to see Guy leave our board and stop coming to meetings regularly, but we knew he was doing great things for this new program called Project Appleseed.
The brainchild of Jack Dailey – “Fred” of Fred’s M14 Stocks – Project Appleseed blends rifle marksmanship, gun safety, and American Revolutionary War history into an enjoyable, entertaining weekend suitable for the entire family.
Over the next five years or so, Gibb rose to become the number two man at Appleseed. He traveled the nation bringing Appleseed to many, if not most of the states in the continental US. He made friends easily and created a following of friends and admirers where ever he went.
He admitted spending every weekend away from his family came with a price, but he felt this higher calling to promote freedom and liberty with freedom-loving Americans demanded it. In a time when lots of people talked about gun rights, oftentimes from behind a keyboard, Guy Gibb had his boots on the ground influencing dozens of people each and every weekend, in person.
He taught them history. He taught them safety. He taught them how to shoot better.
He did this laying in standing water during a rainstorm, and when snowflakes gently fell from the sky. He got muddy right there next to his students, helping them achieve that breakthrough moment that would allow them to put it all together and shoot to the rifleman’s standard. He ran more than a few Appleseed events as the only instructor present. And he did it all for love of country and his mission to get people involved and off the couch.
Those weekends will stay with those people for the rest of their lives. In many cases, those people felt inspired enough to become more involved in the Appleseed program. Guy Gibb inspired literally hundreds of people to become instructors and to give of their time and effort to what they saw as a worthwhile endeavor.
We ourselves were moved to bring Project Appleseed to Illinois, sponsoring the first Illinois shoot in 2007. At the time it was held, just over a year since Appleseed started, it netted nearly sixty shooters and was the second-largest Appleseed shoot ever held at the time. Guy Gibb was there, of course, inspiring people (including myself and many of my friends) to become instructors with the program.
After that first shoot, Illinois’ Appleseed instructor cadre grew to become one of the largest and most active Appleseed states in the nation, thanks to a lot of great people – and a little enthusiastic promotion from Guns Save Life.
Those people Guy Gibb inspired to become active and involved today are carrying on Guy’s vision and mission. They are teaching new people the safe and effective use of not only rifles, but handguns as well. They are working hard advancing gun rights in states across America. They are engaged and influencing public policy in a very positive way, all thanks to Guy Gibb’s spark that lit a flame within them.
America owes Guy Gibb and his family and kids a debt of gratitude for his work. Freedom rings a little louder, and burns a lot brighter within many of us thanks to the him. America’s Founding Fathers surely looked favorably upon The Guy and his work, and he no doubt now breaks bread with them at their table in Heaven.
George Patton’s advice still holds true today: It is foolish and wrong to mourn that Guy Gibb has died. Instead, we should thank God that men like him lived.
There will be a Memorial Service Saturday, April 23rd.
First Presbyterian Church
222 Margaret street
Piper City, Illinois 60959
1-3 pm
Service starts at 3.
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