Ricky Gibson

Ricky Allen Gibson was born September 29, 1973, in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and grew up in the tight-knit communities around Jackhorn and Neon. Family notices identify him as a devoted son and brother who found joy outdoors: he loved fishing, camping and spending time in nature. He was also described as an enthusiastic fan of University of Kentucky basketball.

Ricky is listed in family and funeral-home memorial information as the son of Jackie and Norma Hall of Jackhorn and is survived by siblings and other relatives who remember him. Those notices name close family members and note he had friends who were especially dear to him — people remembered by name in local remembrances — and that his life was rooted in the landscape and community of eastern Kentucky.

In early May 2018 Ricky’s passing was reported in local news and by the Kentucky State Police. Public records and contemporaneous news stories state his remains were discovered in Letcher County and that investigators treated the death as a homicide; arrests were later made in connection with the matter. Out of respect for the family and the dignity of Ricky’s life, those facts are mentioned only to acknowledge the loss and the context in which the community mourned him.

Beyond the public notices, much of Ricky’s life is preserved in the memories of family and neighbors: the outdoor trips, the small talk about basketball, the ways friends described him in funeral-home listings. While public records give only a partial picture, they point to a life lived among family and community in eastern Kentucky — a life that mattered to people who cared for him.

Those who knew Ricky remember him for his connection to the land and the simple, steady pleasures of outdoorsmanship and sport. His passing in May 2018 left a hole in his family and community; memorial arrangements were handled locally and his burial is recorded as taking place in the Hall family cemetery in Jackhorn. This remembrance honors Ricky’s presence in the lives of those who loved him and acknowledges the care of family and friends who gathered to remember him.