Gilbert Winchester Webb

A beautiful spark of the divine appeared when Gilbert W. Webb was born on January 19, 1951, to a very special couple, Ralph and Nesay Webb in Columbia, South Carolina.

From the beginning, people sensed that there was something a bit different about him.  Even in his carriage one day, a passerby stopped and looking down at the little baby and remarked, “This one will be a minister some day!” How correct she was for by the age of 10, the longing for union with his creator welled up in his heart and consumed his thoughts. Along with this, his total bond with nature remained foremost in his heart and whenever possible he would slip carefree through the forests and mountains of his breathtaking surroundings in South Carolina and would joyfully kayak the flowing streams and passionately hiked endlessly, even through parts of the Appalachian Trail.

His love for nature sent him to two years of forestry school, but his life mission was to be working in many capacities with those with autism. He had a natural ability to understand and bond with those beautiful souls and his devoted and successful work with them resulted in him being accepted in the Autism Hall of Fame in South Carolina. He always referred to those affected as “my children.”

Gilbert’s all-consuming devotion to God filled him with love for his fellow man. He accepted as an equal, all races and nationalities. He was quite a scholar, studying many faiths. He began to see the love for God and oneness in all people. He was devoted to Jesus and loved to read His words, trying to live them the best he could. He wasn’t perfect and was painfully aware of that fact. He felt often that he had let God down and it hurt him very much to do so. He loved to read the words of Jesus and tried to live them the best he could. The Lord showed him that love and forgiveness is all he needed and he became a true ambassador of love for all.

In Black Mountain, South Carolina Gil was drawn to the LIGHT CENTER and became friends with the founder, Jim Gore. The Light Prayer became an integral part of his life and heart as he learned to emit the Light within to all people everywhere. Many felt the warmth of this gentle light and were drawn immediately to him.

Also, as a young man, he was led to the Meher Baba center at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and learned of this modern Avatar, a gentle soul filled with love and light. Regretfully, Gilbert never met this marvelous teacher even though they had been in the close proximity of one another for Meher Baba made his transition when Gilbert was a child. Gilbert, however, felt a deep connection with Meher Baba and studied his teachings that paralleled the teachings of Christ the rest of his life.

After many years in the autistic program, he felt led by the Spirit to leave his home in South Carolina. He traveled to California and began working in the Ashram of AMMA, the Indian Saint who does great work for humanity throughout the world still today. He had met her several times, even attended a celebration of her birthday along with hundreds of thousands of people when he visited India to do so years ago.

However, it wasn’t long until the Holy Spirit told him he must go to Arkansas. He had no idea why, but he always obeyed Spirit in his life knowing that it was the will of Jesus that he do so. One day in Harrison he was led to visit a gathering at a Christian church and there met the woman that he would marry. The year was 2016.

Sadly, he already had the beginning of Parkinsons and an advanced stage of Trigeminal as well as Occipital Neuralgia. Pain was already his constant companion.

On June 11, 2022, this life-long bachelor, at age 71, Gilbert Winchester Webb happily married his love and best friend, Arline S. Flint

He and Arline continued to travel seeing one specialist after another, hoping to find a cure, or at least something to help the pain, but to no avail. Arline was his only caregiver until his peaceful passing at his home on May 08, 2024. The last two days of his life, he was finally, for the first time in years, free of all excruciating pain!

He is survived by his siblings that he loved dearly, his sister Margie Papajohn and her husband George, as well as his brother, Rocky Webb and his wife Katherine. He has many cousins that survive him as some very dear friends whom he always held so deeply in his heart.

He is already greatly missed by his family and countless friends all over the country. A bright light has exited this rather tiny orb of space, but the remembrance of the warmth of his love as well as his words and thoughts will last forever.

A Celebration of Life will be at the Arc Church in Harrison, Arkansas.  3598 Hwy 65 North, Harrison, Arkansas (located 1.6 miles north of Walmart, across from the campgrounds) on May 25, 2024 at 2:00pm. 

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