Page 3 - Newsletter Winter 2018

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ENDOWMENT

FUND RECEIVES $500,000 BEQUEST

FROM GIBERSON ESTATE
FALL • 2018 Nancy Ketch ‘82

Maxine Giberson, a former teacher in the SAD 29 system, was a staunch supporter of the Houlton High School
Alumni Association. So much so, that she purchased a lifetime membership when she was about 100 years old.
She enjoyed the newsletter and believed in the efforts of the Association. She was a lifelong educator, as was her
husband, the late Hamilton Giberson, who served as Superintendent of SAD 29 from 1963 through 1977 when
they both retired.

Sadly, Maxine passed away in January at the age of 102. Maxine and Hamilton Giberson will be remembered for
many years, though, thanks to her generous bequest of $500,000 to the Alumni Association Endowment Fund.

Maxine Giberson was born in Wytopitlock and graduated from Danforth High School. During her first year of
teaching, Maxine met her future husband, Hamilton, who was also a teacher at Tapley School in Oakland. She
taught in Beverly, MA while Hamilton served in World War II. The two were married August 11, 1946 at the
Danforth Methodist Church. Their reception was at the family’s cottage at Hot Brook Lake in Danforth, which was
a favorite spot for family gatherings over the years, while Houlton was their primary home. The Gibersons came to
Houlton in 1963 when Hamilton became the Superintendent. During his years with the district, he oversaw the
construction of a new middle school and a new elementary school in Houlton, a new gymnasium in Monticello,
new classrooms in Littleton and the creation of the adult education program. He also served as the president of the
Maine Superintendent’s Association. Maxine was a beloved 3rd grade teacher in the district for those 14 years. The
pair retired in 1977. She watched many of her students continue through Houlton High School. Maxine had an
obvious impact on those students as a lot of them continued to stay in touch with her and visit throughout her life.

During the check presentation for the new Giberson Fund, Maxine’s niece, Olive Shu, said of her aunt and uncle,
“For both Maxine and Hamilton, education was a lifelong pursuit, vocation and passion.” She added that, “They
met as young teachers in Oakland. Hamilton’s teaching career was put on hold by World War II when he served
overseas in North Africa and the Middle East. When the war was over, they married and resumed joint careers in
various educational positions throughout Maine.”

The gift will establish a named scholarship fund for the Gibersons. The money will be invested in the Alumni
Association Endowment Fund which is managed through the Maine Community Foundation. Each year, earnings
from the fund will be used to present scholarships to graduating seniors at Houlton High School. The principal will
not be touched, thus allowing the gift to continue to grow.

The Alumni Association is extremely grateful to the Giberson’s for their vision and foresight in remembering the
organization in their estate planning.

www.houltonalumni.com PAGE 3