Jay L. Dreibelbis

He lived life to exacting standards: Jay knew his stuff. Perhaps it came
from his background in the air force. He enlisted in 1955 then left the
military to become a nurse (graduating from Penn Hospital School of Nursing
for Men in 1962) and eventually re-commissioned into the reserves earning
the rank of Lt. Colonel. Rank however meant little to him; having been an
enlisted man you were more likely to find him joking around with those
under his command than in the Officer’s Club. It was his exacting standards
that enabled some 5000 patients to be cared for at the Air Staging Facility
in Germany during the Gulf War and he made operations run smoothly at
Virtua Hospital where he coordinated surgical supplies. In or out of
uniform, it was apparent that Jay was an authority. Of course he never had
an ego about any of it, care of patient always came first. When he worked
occupational therapy he learned to crotchet so that he could better help
his patients: In later years it came in handy when he was doling out
Christmas gifts. Jay loved orchids, but he never needed them to be to
fancy. A $20 one from Home Depot would suffice. Later years found him as
President of the homeowners assoc. at his community; probably because he
walked the entire development twice a day until he became sick. Even then
he still walked it once a day.

As a graduate nursing student he’d meet a student nurse named Lloyd Gibson;
it was love at first sight. They’d be life partners for the next 50
years. After that brief courtship they married 2 moths ago, August 1st.
He is survived by his sister Annamae Troutman (Gerald); sisters in law,
Miriam and Joanna Dreibelbis, Rosalind Rokita (David) and Lois Gibson;
nieces, Sharon McGinnis (Pierson) and their children, Haley, Cassidy and
Pierson and Sandra Taggart and her children, Victoria and Dillon. He was
pre-deceased by his parents, Raymond James and Florence Mae; and siblings,
Charles, Wilmer and Ella Zigler.

Come celebrate 80 caring years, Monday 6-8 p.m. and Tuesday 11-11:45 a.m.
at Sweeney Funeral Home, Beverly where there will be a noon service.
Interment, Odd Fellows Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, donations
to woundedwarriorproject.org will be appreciated