John Gibson FGDC
January 2, 1928 – July 23, 2011

On Saturday July 23, 2011 one of Canada’s design pioneers died in Toronto. He had been in ill health for a little over a year.

John Gibson started his career as an apprentice hand compositor in London, UK. As part of that apprenticeship he became a student at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and the London School of Printing. In 1952 John came to Canada as a display compositor with the Calgary Herald in Alberta. In 1956, while working with Howarth & Smith in Toronto as a graphic designer, John became the first secretary of the Society of Typographic Designers of Canada. In 1959 he initiated the Montréal group of the TDC when he opened the Cooper & Beatty office in that city.

Continuing his involvement in the Society after returning to Toronto in 1964, he co-directed the Typography’64 exhibit, co-directed with his good friend Sam Smart the Graphicanada exhibit for a New York showing, and was elected president of the TDC (Toronto) in 1967. After a stint in New York as Director of Typography with Young & Rubicam, John returned to Toronto in 1971. In 1976 he was elected National President of the newly chartered Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC). He was made a Fellow of the GDC in 1987.

John has lectured on graphic communication at Ryerson, initiated a print production course with the Institute of Canadian Advertising and has been honoured by the ‘John Gibson Scholarship Award’ by the Advertising Agency Print Production Association. John joined MacLaren:Lintas Advertising in 1979 as Vice-President Graphic Services. In 1983 he was one of the judges selected for TDC 30.

He retired in 1993. Throughout his long career John made many valuable contributions to Canadian graphic design.

In March 2011 the typeface Gibson was released in honour of John. All proceeds from the sale of Gibson go to the GDC Design Education Committee.

In lieu of flowers the family is asking people to either make a donation to the nursing home in Toronto (Chester Village) where John had been living for the last year, purchase the Gibson typeface, or make a donation directly to the GDC Education Fund which can be done here.

We would like to publish any memories or recollections of John on the GDC website. if you would like to contribute please send an email to .

— Rod McDonald, Lake Echo, Nova Scotia

Photo: John at his 80th birthday.

Additional comments submitted:

I first met John Gibson when I was working at the Design Unit at University of Toronto Press in the late seventies. At that time, many design and typography legends dropped by to visit with Laurie, Will, and Antje—and it was my good fortune to be introduced to some of them as they passed through. I never worked with John but will always remember and appreciate his phone call congratulating me on becoming an FGDC. A thoughtful gesture from one of the founders, those words were the warmest and kindest, and I will always be grateful.
— Helen Mah FGDC