It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected death of Dan Gibbons on August 19, 2026, at the age of 51 in Spokane, Washington. Dan is survived by his loving wife Carey, his son Andrew, his daughter Reagan, his parents Jeff and Patty, and his sister Kate.

Dan was born on Father’s Day, June 15,1975 in Anchorage, Alaska. He spent his first years in Olympia, WA and arrived with his family in Spokane in 1983. The Gibbons lived north of town in Summerwood, and Dan attended Colbert Grade School, Mead Junior High, and Mead Senior High. He started sports early on and played soccer, football, baseball, and finished high school running cross country and track. Dan started Cub Scouts in the third grade, then Boy Scouts, and by his sophomore year in high school reached the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Mead High School in 1993 and headed to Pullman.

At Washington State University, Dan went through fraternity rush and pledged Alpha Kappa Lambda. He was active in leadership roles in the house and was the WSU Interfraternity Council President his senior year. Dan was a diehard Cougar football fan and attended the 1998 and 2001 WSU Rose Bowl games. Dan often commented on how much fun he had as a college student. One special event in his sophomore year; he met Carey Squires, his future wife, and the love of his life. Dan graduated in 1997 with a double major in Finance and Accounting. After considering graduate school, he chose to take the LSAT and then applied to regional law schools.

After graduation, he and Carey moved south. Dan attended the University of Oregon Law School while Carey earned her master’s degree. He bought a diamond ring and proposed to Carey. Dan spent days at the law library ensuring his success and joined the University of Oregon Law Review.

The year 2000 was a busy one for Dan. Upon law school graduation, Dan was selected to clerk for the federal judge at the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Idaho in Boise, Idaho. On August 5, 2000, Carey and Dan were married in Kennewick surrounded by celebrating family and friends. After a brief honeymoon in Mexico, they headed to Boise. During this time, Dan was admitted to the bar in Idaho in 2000, and the bar in Washington and Oregon in 2002.

After his clerkship, Dan joined the law firm Paine Hamblen in 2002 and started his career in Spokane’s legal community. He also started a family. Carey and Dan settled in Spokane Valley. Andrew was born in 2003, and Reagan was born in 2006. For the next years, life was work, family time, and school activities. Summertime meant trips to the lake, and winter was kids' sports and school activities. Andrew graduated from high school in 2021, and Reagan graduated in 2024. Both followed their parents to WSU to attend college.

For more than two decades, Dan has been a fixture in Spokane’s bankruptcy and municipal legal community. During his career, Dan served as the President of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, an advisory member of the Downtown Spokane Partnership Board, President and Secretary of Spokane Youth Lacrosse, and a member of the Board of Directors for Children FIRST. He dedicated his practice to helping individuals, companies, and cities navigate legal challenges. He was a resolute and passionate champion for his clients.

Dan was conservative and dependable even as a child. He was quietly persistent and always a good student. He experienced the agony and ecstasy of Cougar football, had season tickets for 26 years, and loved game days and friends at the WSU fieldhouse. He took care of his wife and enjoyed his family. He was a serious contender at cutthroat boardgames played on the deck at the lake cabin each summer. Dan set up and dismantled equipment on local lacrosse fields every Saturday during the youth sports season. At the firm, Dan was the guy who came to work on Sundays to finish projects. He loved planning vacations and traveling with Carey after the kids were older. They had great fun on trips to Washington DC, Palm Springs, New Orleans, Hawaii, and the big anniversary trip to Italy.

Dan was our good guy- son, brother, husband, and father. His sudden passing will leave a hole in our hearts and an empty place in our family forever.

A funeral mass will be held at St Joseph’s Church 4521 N Arden Road, Otis Orchards, WA, 99027 on Saturday, September 19th. 10:30am Rosary, 11:00am Funeral Mass, 12:00 Reception in Church Hall. A private burial will take place at St Joseph’s Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers or food please donate to the Dan Gibbons Memorial Fund: St Thomas More Catholic Student Center – Washington State University  > Go to drop down menu > Choose Dan Gibbons Memorial Fund.