Thelma DaCosta Gibson, age 93 of Painesville, died peacefully in her sleep on March 29, 2017 in hospice care at The Cleveland Clinic. She was born on July 31,1923 in the city of Florida in the Camagüey Province, Cuba to the late Charles and May (Petinaud) DaCosta. Known as “TD,” and beloved by her large extended family and friends, Thelma grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, where she was a track star (against the wishes of her parents), singer with a local jazz group, and talented educator, graduating and then teaching at the prestigious Excelsior school in Kingston after completing exams through Cambridge University of England. Thelma immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City in 1948, where she soon thereafter met and married her late husband Leslie Gibson - born, raised and educated in Kingston, Jamaica and whose family, also educators, co-founded the famous all-male Kingston College in the 1920’s. She moved to Painesville, Ohio in 1953, where she raised five children, volunteered with local public schools and served as PTA chapter president. Once her children were grown, Thelma worked part time as a sales associate at Carlisle's, where she achieved the top sales award numerous times over her 22 years of service. Thelma was a member of St. James Episcopal Church and the YMCA, where she was a role model, swimming daily for more than 35 years, through September 2016. Her love of gardening was honored multiple times, beginning in 1965, with the Pretty Painesville Award. She enjoyed cooking and baking, following amateur and professional sports, (especially her beloved Ohio sports teams), completing the New York Times crossword puzzle and advanced Sudoku puzzles to keep her mind agile each day while continuing to pursue her love of history studies.

Thelma is survived by her five children; Sandra (Stephen) Bittle, Donna (Wayne) Robinson, Nancy (Daniel) Markaity, Estelle Gibson, Alan Howden Gibson II; grandchildren, Marissa Mathews, Geoffrey Gibson, Austin Bittle, Andrew Gibson, and Sydney Gibson; great grandson, Joachim Mathews; her sisters, Eugenia Hylton, Florence Cohen, and Pearl Taylor.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Leslie and sister, Mercedes Nelson.

In her final weeks and days, she was surrounded by all her children and grandchildren who performed music and sang for her amid laughter and storytelling.

A service celebrating her life will be planned for later this year.

The family requests memorial contributions to be made to the wonderfully supportive Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and please specify in memory of Thelma Gibson for Arts and Medicine – Music Therapy.

Provide comfort for the family by planting a tree in memory of Thelma Gibson (DaCosta), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.