Maria Gibbs
Photograph of Maria Gibbs, courtesy of her family, by way of May Funeral Homes.
Maria Gibbs passed away on April 22, 2020, at the age of 47, due to complications from COVID-19. She worked as a Senior Corrections Police Officer at the Central Reception and Assignment Facility in Trenton, New Jersey. Maria was the third New Jersey corrections officer to die from COVID-19 related issues.
Maria was a dedicated officer—the filter on her Facebook profile picture is proof of her commitment, stating, “I can’t stay home. I’m a correctional officer.” William Sullivan, the president of Maria’s local police officers’ union (PBA Local 105), told The Trentonian that Maria “sacrificed herself for her job,” continuing, “she’s a true hero…she went to work facing the pandemic and unfortunately lost her life for it.” Before moving to the Trenton facility, Maria worked at the Northern State Prison in Newark. She served as a New Jersey corrections officer for 19 years.
Photograph of Maria and her husband, Dwayne Gibbs, obtained from Maria Gibbs on Facebook.
Maria is survived by her husband, Dwayne Gibbs, who is also a corrections officer, and her four children. She is remembered fondly by her friends.
Sha-Ron Williams, a former colleague, told the Daily Voice that Maria “loved to have fun and laugh…we worked on the same floor for a little over a year. Every day working with her was an adventure! It was never a dull moment! You never knew what she was going to do! One thing for sure, if you was having a bad day, she would find some crazy way to turn it into a good one.”
Photograph of Maria at her wedding, obtained from Maria Gibbs on Facebook.
Donald Molder, who worked with Maria for about four years at the State Prison in Newark and who serves as the institutional vice president of PBA Local 105, voiced a similar sentiment. Donald told the Burlington County Times, “She was a very nice person, someone who kept people laughing. She was a well-respected, beautiful person. We’re like a family, and when you lose somebody that you work with for several years, it’s very, very hard. It’s truly like losing a family member you’ve known all your life.”
A nearly 300-car motorcade passed the funeral home following Maria’s service in April. Noting the turnout, William said, “it’s safe to say she was very well liked.”
Video of the hundreds paying respects to Maria on April 29, obtained from NJ.com.
We mourn the loss of Maria, a kind, fun, and dedicated person; she will be missed.
This memorial was written by MOL team member Alie Brussel Faria with information from reporting by Anthony Attrino of NJ Advance Media, Rodrigo Torrejon of NJ Advance Media, Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman of the Trentonian, Cecilia Levine of the Daily Voice, and George Woolston of the Burlington County Times.