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Coy Gibbs, who followed his famous father in making an impact in both football and auto racing, was remembered Wednesday at a memorial service at Joe Gibbs Racing one month after his death, according to a report by Zach Sturniolo of NASCAR.com. Gibbs, 49, died suddenly in his sleep on Nov. 6 just hours after celebrating his son Ty Gibbs winning the championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Gibbs, who served as COO of Joe Gibbs Racing at the time of his passing, enjoyed a diverse sports career that included playing linebacker at Stanford, driving full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, and serving as a member of his father's NFL coaching staff in Washington. Gibbs was eulogized by family members and personal friends, who shared stories of his "merciless sarcasm, tough exterior but tenderhearted and generous nature."

The memorial service was attended by several hundred people, including Joe Gibbs Racing drivers past and present.

Gibbs originally followed his father into football, playing linebacker at Stanford University from 1991 to 1994 and leading the team in tackles during his senior year. He then made the move to stock car racing, working up through the ranks in the late 1990s before making his Truck Series debut in 2000. Gibbs raced full-time in the Truck Series from 2001 to 2002, earning six top-five finishes and 21 top-10 finishes, a best career finish of second at Texas in 2002, and a 10th-place finish in points in both seasons.

Gibbs then moved to what was then the NASCAR Busch Series in 2003, where he scored two top 10s with a best finish of ninth at Talladega and finishing runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors. Gibbs would then step out of the driver's seat to become an offensive quality control assistant on what is now the Washington Commanders, and he would then move onto the business side of Joe Gibbs Racing while also serving as a Pop Warner football coach and shepherding his son Ty's racing career.

"Coy was never comfortable in the spotlight and preferred to support those he loved from the background," read Gibbs' obituary. "He was a passionate entrepreneur and loved setting others up for success, whether his own children, his late brother's sons, the JGR family, the ministries of JGR, and the Pop Warner players he coached for 8 seasons.

"He was fiercely loyal, quietly generous, mercilessly sarcastic, and tender-hearted in ways he rarely allowed others to see. These people and these moments were his treasures. And heaven is now his reward."

Ty Gibbs, who had not issued any statements on his father's death and declined to do so during a media session last week, paid tribute to his father in an Instagram post in which he shared a video of the two celebrating Ty's championship triumph at Phoenix.

"I love you Dad," Gibbs wrote. "God blessed me with you in my life. I am thankful for every second I got to spend with you. Thank you for always loving me and having my back through every situation. I am so excited to see you again!"

Coy Gibbs was preceded in death by his brother J.D. Gibbs, who died in 2019 of a degenerative neurological disease. The two brothers were Joe Gibbs' only children, and they shared a Truck Series ride together in 2000.

In lieu of flowers, the Gibbs family has asked that donations be made to the Coy Gibbs Memorial Fund at the National Christian Foundation.