Commander Grant Welk Hibbard, USN Ret.

Commander Grant W. “Skip” Hibbard, USN Ret., passed away on April 23, 2023, at the age of 88.  He was born in Cleveland, Ohio September 29, 1934 to Grant C. and Gladys W. Hibbard.

Skip graduated from Lake Worth High School in 1952 and from Florida State University in 1956 with a BS in Economics. He was accepted into the US Naval OCS the fall of 1956 and graduated in December of 1956. He married the love of his life, Shirley Peake, on December 22, 1956 and went on to serve in the Navy for 26 years.

Skip was CO of Coastal Minesweeper , Woodpecker, in Japan 1962-1964, followed by service on various destroyers. He then Commanded a Division of Swift Boats in Vietnam, 1968-1969, receiving two bronze stars with combat “V”. His land commands included serving as Training Planning and Program Officer, Military Sealift Commander, and Operating Forces Commander. He retired from the US Navy in 1981 with the rank of Commander. He was also an avid fisherman and golfer since childhood. 

Skip was preceded in death by his parents, Grant C. and Gladys W. Hibbard. Survivors include his wife, Shirley E. Hibbard of Gulf Breeze; son, Grant C. Hibbard (Cathy) of Jacksonville, FL; daughter, Karen H. Ouellette (Rick) of Heath, TX; granddaughters, Megan Wheeldon (Robert) of Lavon, TX, Kristen Zaluski (Michael) of Cleveland, OH, Georgia (Michael) Price of Callahan, FL, Megan (Tony) Barrett of Jacksonville, FL; grandsons, Zachariah (Crystal) Davis of Larchwood, Iowa; and Matthew Hibbard of Callahan, FL; 10 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. 

There will be a visitation from 10-11:00 am on Friday, April 28, 2023 at Rose Lawn Funeral Home in Gulf Breeze. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 am at the funeral home with Chaplain David Gibson officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in Rose Lawn Cemetery in Gulf Breeze.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to Covenant Care Center for Hospice Care at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL, Hillsdale College of Hillsdale, MI (hillsdale.edu), or St. Jude Childrens Hospital (stjude.org).