Helen Gibbs Daniel Couch

The heavenly host should prepare now for frequent themed costume parties because Helen Gibbs

Daniel Couch strode into the gracious presence of her savior on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. For 24

years, her family enthusiastically (for the most part) embraced the opportunity to dress in costume

during American Idol Nights and theme parties such as "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Putting on the

Ritz" at the now legendary Annual Couch Family Beach Trip.

Born on May 9, 1939, the first daughter of James Edgar Daniel and Helen Tate Hitchcock Daniel, Gibbs

naturally came by this love of parties, drama, and fun. Precocious and full of life, Gibbs was beloved by

the people of her hometown Clayton, Alabama, where she spent many hours working at Daniel's Store,

owned by her family. Because of her exceptional intellect and maturity, Gibbs graduated High School at

age 16 and left for Alabama College in Montevallo, AL, where her mother and aunt had attended.

Performing in the Gold show each year, Montevallo is where Gibbs first found her love of theater. By

providence, Robert Hill Couch of Winfield, AL, transferred to Montevallo soon after in the first class of

men eligible to attend the formerly all-girls school. Despite the 4:1 girl-to-guy ratio, Helen Gibbs had no

trouble snagging Bob, who would become the love of her life. Soon after college, they married and

remained so for 54 years until Bob's death in 2013.

Gibbs and Bob traversed Alabama pursuing careers in education. These travels took them from

Montevallo to Birmingham, Gadsden, Montgomery, and eventually Auburn. Gibbs was a pioneer in her

field as one of the first school-based speech pathologists in Alabama. She did speech therapy in nearly

every school in the Auburn City School system, often carting her office from school to school in her

trunk. She also taught the STRETCH gifted program at Drake Middle School for several glorious years. In

1995 she was awarded the Alabama Special Education Teacher of the Year. In addition to teaching and

therapy, Gibbs became a professional storyteller traveling throughout the Southeast. Her penchant for

drama and storytelling landed her a weekly television show on the school access cable channel. "The

Reading Corner" featured Gibbs reading books to area school children. It was likely the highest-rated

program of all time on the Auburn City Schools cable channel, and her family fully expects it to be picked

up by Netflix soon.

Bob and Gibbs were a dynamic team. They loved hosting people in their home and threw epic pool

parties for Bob's university students, colleagues, friends, and even classes of special education students.

More than a few college students, including their sons Jim and Rob, encountered their eventual spouses

while dangling their feet in the Couch pool. In retirement, Gibbs and Bob relished the opportunity to

travel around the country and savored their month-long Fall trips to Panama City Beach, where they

watched the sunset together every evening.

Gibbs' children were recently startled to learn that she's been telling each of them, "you're the sweetest

one" throughout much of their lives. Her indiscriminate use of this superlative is unsurprising to anyone

who loved Gibbs. She had a way of making each person feel like they were uniquely valued and loved.

Each of her children, their spouses, grandchildren, and friends had a unique relationship with Gibbs. Her

grandchildren, especially, will never forget that their Gan-Gan was unlike any other. Summers at Cousins

Camp, ice cream for breakfast, and starring in the annual Couch Family Christmas pageant will never

fade from their memories.

Gibbs was a faithful member of Auburn United Methodist Church for over 50 years. It would be easier to

list the ministries that Gibbs did not participate in than to list all she did. She was most recently active in

The Jubilee Seniors ministry, Harvesters, reader's theater, The Food Pantry, REACH ministry, member of

the Nick Holler Sunday School Class, GALS group, and Red Hat Society. In years past, she's been Lay

Leader, Sunday School Teacher, Singles Ministry leader, Bible study leader, mission team member, early

service choir member, and VBS storyteller. She was also one of the original planners of the annual adult

spiritual life retreat. She held down the 2 nd pew from the front on the left at the early service, inviting

many friends to join her. The Breath Savers Peppermint mints she liberally distributed from her purse

helped make even long sermons enjoyable.

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Bible, her deep love for Jesus, her church, and the influence of many

authors living and gone, Gibbs became a spiritual giant. Her dining room turned sanctuary where she

studied, journaled, and prayed for hours each morning, still reverberates with the holiness of God.

Despite the changing skyline of the loveliest village on the plains, Gibbs adored the City of Auburn.

Beyond her work within the school system, she dabbled in community theater, taught many courses at

OLLI, and was a faithful volunteer at the Boykin Senior Center. She was always politically engaged and

proud to call herself a "yellow dog Democrat." One of Gibbs' most memorable acts of service involved a

mishap while dancing with Santa Claus and dressed as an Elf at the EASE House Christmas party.

Christmas came early to East Alabama Medical Center that day as an 80-year-old elf with a dislocated

hip was wheeled into the ER.

Gibbs' life brought a richness, joy, and love to the world to which God calls all of us.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Hill Couch; father, James Edgar Daniel; mother,

Helen Tate Hitchcock Daniel; Brother, James (Tubby) Edgar Daniel Jr; and sister Edith Vesta Daniel

Kennedy.

She is survived by her baby brother John Edgar Daniel (Linda), son, James (Jim) W. Couch (Ginger),

daughter, Edith (Edie) Elizabeth Couch Beckum (Cam), son, Robert (Rob) Gibbs Couch (Crystal),

grandchildren: Davis Tate Couch (Lynne McClure), Maecy Lane Couch, Cameron Elizabeth Beckum, Blake

Robert Beckum, David Gibbs Couch, Ethan Fox Couch, Ella Louise Couch, many beloved nieces, nephews,

and cousins, honorary daughter Lisa Norrell, and honorary son James Porter.

A memorial service to celebrate Gibbs' life and faith will be held at Auburn United Methodist Church on

Friday, November 11, 2022, at 2:00 PM in the Sanctuary. The family will receive friends following the

service.

The family thanks the faithful caregivers and friends who cared for Gibbs, especially the staff of

Compassus Hospice and the Bethany House.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Auburn United Methodist Food Pantry, P.O. Box 3135

Auburn, AL 36831 (www.aumc.net/give).