Services for former police chief Gibb announced

A memorial for former Honolulu Chief of Police Douglas Gibb will be held on Friday, July 27 at Borthwick Mortuary. 

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m.   A memorial service will begin at 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Chief Gibb’s name to the Honolulu Police Relief Association, 1537 Young St., Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96826 or to PBS Hawaii, 2350 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822.

Online condolences may be expressed at borthwickoahu.com.

Douglas Glenn Gibb, 72, former longtime resident of Ka'a'awa, died in Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, July 1 at Hospice of Central Iowa-Kavanagh House on 56th with family at his side.

He was born on June 5, 1940 in Makaweli, Kauai, the son of Douglas Stormont & Gwendolyn (Bedell) Gibb.

He was a graduate of Punahou Academy (Class of 1958), the City College of San Francisco (1963), and the University of Denver (1966).

His early employment was as Food and Beverage Manager for Island Holidays, Kauai and as Assistant Manager for Spencecliff Corporation.

In 1967, he joined the Honolulu Police Department and served in the Uniformed Patrol Division, Communications Division, and Research and Development.

In 1971, he was promoted to Police Sergeant.

He was promoted to Detective in the Criminal Investigation Department in 1973, and in 1976 was promoted to Lieutenant in CID. Promoted to Captain in 1978, he served in the Training Division and, later, as Special Assistant to the Office of the Chief.

In 1982 he was named HPD Policeman of the Year.

He was appointed Chief of Police for the Honolulu Police Department in 1983.

After his 1989 retirement from the Honolulu Police Department, he was appointed Vice President for Records and Security at First Hawaiian Bank.  He retired from FHB in 1998 and, with his wife, Melanie, moved that year to Des Moines, Iowa, to be near their daughter and family.

While in Des Moines, Gibb traveled the states in his RV and on his many Harleys.  Over the many years he spent weekday mornings doing something he thoroughly enjoyed, baking at his daughter’s health food store in Des Moines.

Doug and Melanie had planned to move back to their home in the Volcano area of the Big Island in the fall to escape the cold Iowa winters.

Gibb was particularly proud of the Gibb family’s membership in Scotland’s Buchanan clan and he served as Regent for the Clan Buchanan.  He played the bagpipes and slack key guitar, and enjoyed Hawaiian and Bluegrass music of old.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Melanie (Hardy); daughter, Diane Gibb (Rod) Lahodny of Des Moines, Iowa; son, Glenn Kale (Faith Keona) Gibb of Honolulu; grandchildren, Emma, Lake, and Stormont; brother, Charles E. (Barbara) Gibb of Honolulu; and sister, Christina E.(Jay) Moore of Napili, Maui.