Doyle Branstetter Obituary, Oak Park High School Alumni Association Class of 1980 has died
Doyle Branstetter Obituary, Death – Doyle Dee Branstetter, age 61, of Higbee, Missouri, passed away at the University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia, Missouri, on August 28, 2023, in a tranquil manner. Do you bring your lunch with you when you walk to school? Is the length of a battleship greater? Which is correct?
If you are familiar with Doyle, you will recognize these immediately. Doyle Dee Branstetter arrived on this earth on May 19, 1962, just four minutes after his older brother, who Doyle Dee Branstetter deems to be “more handsome.” Doyle Branstetter was born to Ralph and Marie Branstetter in Kansas City, Missouri. He was so small that he could be carried around in a shoe box, and his father’s hankies served as diapers for him.
His younger sister, Tonya, and his brothers Ralph Jr. “Butch,” Rick, and David, as well as his twin brother, rounded out the rest of his family. Doyle spent his childhood in the Kansas City area, where he became famous as a prankster, all-around hilarious guy, and ardent supporter of the Kansas City Royals baseball team. When he was a senior in high school, he held the record for the bench press with a lift of 350 pounds for 10 minutes before David defeated him with a lift of 375 pounds (David did this lift before he realized his brother held the record).
After graduating from high school, Doyle spent his summers working as a lifeguard and night watchman at KC Youth for Christ ranches. He also attended Christ Unlimited Bible Institute (CUBI), where he was taught to preach, pray, sing, or die at a moment’s notice. At the Circle C Ranch, Doyle first made the acquaintance of “Red,” who would eventually become his wife.
After getting married on August 3, 1985, Doyle Gibler and Velvet Gibler remained married for the next 38 years, during which time they brought up their four daughters, Reisa, Cali, Jobea, and Zayde. Every one of Doyle’s ladies has experienced the one-of-a-kind love that can only come from him. Doyle devoted his life to the ministry of the church, serving in Moberly, Missouri, as a correctional officer and also working as a driver for Stage Department Stores.
Doyle and Velvet were active members of CNS Ministries, which required them to open their home to adolescent girls who were in danger from all over the world. While Doyle was employed at this ministry, he was in charge of servicing and maintaining the many automobiles used by the ministry. As a result, he was able to memorize the license plate numbers of all of the vehicles. Doyle was quite knowledgeable in statistics and could repeat a large number of them to anyone who would listen to him.
When Doyle was asked to speak to an audience of more than 4,000 people, he did so with great pride because of the time he had spent investing in the lives of young people. Doyle was instrumental in the reopening of camps Inlow and Cedar Crest, which are affiliated with the Tri Association of Southern Baptist Churches. At these camps, thousands of children spend their summers learning about Jesus Christ.
Additionally, Velvet returned home multiple times to find a stranger in their house, a person that Doyle had picked up. He told them about Jesus, let them take showers, fed them, and then continued leading them on their journey. Doyle’s most recent job, which he held until his health forced him into retirement, was working with people who had mental or physical impairments.