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Liberty mourns loss of adjunct faculty member

Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. leads the Liberty University community in remembering Phyllis Gribbin, who passed away on July 1 after battling lymphoma for five months.

“I am asking the entire university community to keep the Gribbin family in their prayers,” Falwell said. “The Gribbins have served Liberty with distinction for decades and Phyllis will be greatly missed.  She impacted many lives as a faithful wife, mother, and grandmother and as a third-grade teacher at Liberty Christian Academy for many years.”

Gribbin supervised student teachers at Liberty for three years as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education, from Spring 2007 until the Spring 2011. Gribbin traveled throughout Central Virginia observing student teachers in their classrooms.

“She really cared for her student teachers. She would always come in during the semester and she would say she had a bunch of good girls. She was a very good mentor to them,” said Nancy Hesse, supervisor of elementary student teaching in the Teacher Licensure Office. ”The majority were elementary and special education teachers, and she was very patient with them and she just thoroughly enjoyed supervising their student teaching.”

Gribbin also taught kindergarten, first, second and sixth grade over 25 years at Lynchburg Christian Academy. She taught in public schools in Smethport, Pa. for 10 years. Gribbin earned a B.S. in elementary education at Mansfield University in Pa. and an M. Ed. in elementary education at Edinboro University in Pa.

She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Dr. William Gribbin, a professor of English and former dean of Liberty’s School of Communication, and three children: Matthew Paul Gribbin of Herndon, Va.; Mrs. Samuel (Nicole Eileen) Dean of Vinton, Va.; and Michael William Gribbin of Lynchburg.

The Gribbin family moved to Lynchburg in 1980 so Dr. William Gribbin could begin teaching at Liberty.

Phyllis Gribbin is also survived by her mother Eileen Csatlos of Sharon, Pa.; her brother Ernest Csatlos of Sharon; another brother, Richard Csatlos of Houston, Texas; and a sister, Mrs. Jeff (Carole) Hawkins of Greenville, S.C. She also leaves four grandchildren, Corey William Gribbin of Forest, Va.; Anisten Lennon Cale Gribbin and Sulliven Rhye Cale Gribbin of Lynchburg; and Colter Samuel Dean of Vinton, Va.

A visitation will be held today, Tuesday, July 5, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Tharp Funeral Home on Breezewood Drive in Lynchburg. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, July 6 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Chapel Lynchburg on Leesville Road. Pastor Troy Warner will be officiating. Interment will be at Virginia Memorial Park in Forest, Va. immediately following the service.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.tharpfuneralhome.com.

 

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