Michael Kibby
Michael W. Kibby
November 19, 1942 – May 16, 2024,
of Williamsville, NY and Osprey, FL. Much loved husband of Carol Kibby, (nee Bailey). Dear father of Jennifer Kibby and Andrea Burnham. Dear stepfather of Andrew (Tammy), Allison (Paul), and John (Michelle) Adams. Adored grandfather of Owen, Ryan, Emma, Alyssa, Aiden, Bailey, Charles, Samuel, and Gregory. Michael was a Professor of Reading at the University at Buffalo where he presided over the Reading Clinic and had the privilege and joy of helping many children learn to read. He and his wife loved traveling the world, bicycling, cooking, and most of all, being with their children and grandchildren. If you would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers in honor of Michael, please consider Reach Out and Read. Friends are invited to a celebration of Michael’s wonderful life at the Reikart House on Friday, June 28th, from 1-4PM. Online condolences may be made at www.TheDietrichFuneralHome.com
Michael was my advisor and friend at UB. I worked closely with him in the reading clinic and he assisted me with my first reading position at Akron Central Schools. He was a tough but fair professor. In 1978 when told him I would be on my honeymoon when a paper was due, he said, “No problem. You can turn it in early.” “That and 35 cents will get you a cup of coffee”. I have so much respect for him, his knowledge, and dedication to children and the teaching of reading. I had a wonderful 30 year career as a reading specialist because of him.
Mike Kibby was my advisor teacher and friend. He did indeed preside over the UB Reading Clinic. I was honored to work with him for many years. He was tough, but fair. When I was pregnant he was very concerned that I would go into labor at the clinic so he assigned someone to to take me to the hospital and told me to have a bag in my car. Every detail covered! He had a great sense of humor, loved books, and was a great cook. He not only taught many children to read, but many teachers to teach. I was a better teacher and reading specialist because of his knowledge and dedication.
Even though Michael W. Kibby had an amazing way with words and an extensive vocabulary, and as his secretary/assistant of 30ish years I had to learn a firm command of writing and vocabulary, there are no words sufficient to fully describe how sorry I am that Professor Kibby has passed. We were young when we started working together, and I learned so much from him about Reading Education, diagnostic and instructional tools for helping children learn to read and the requirements of the masters and doctoral programs in Reading Education, both in my time working for him in the Reading Center and when he was Chair of the Department of Learning and instruction. No one worked harder or cared more than Michael did when it came to fulfilling his responsibilities to children with reading problems, students in the program, the LAI faculty and staff, and the drive for excellence. But despite how hard he worked, he had an amazing sense of humor, was a great story teller and had several amusing sayings like, “No one can call me doctor except my mother,” and “I’d rather have a sharp stick in my eye than answer the phone.” Michael was very quick witted and excelled in so many different arenas, it’s impossible to list them all. The staff loved him…he always had our backs and never let anyone criticize us even if we deserved it. His death is a profound loss to his family of course, and to so many others. His legacy of children who read better, and the teachers who know how to help them, and the doctoral students/faculty who now teach the teachers….well his wide spread impact is truly exceptional. Rest in peace, Michael. I, like so many others, loved you dearly.
Michael Kibby was my advisor, friend and colleague in both the UB Reading Clinic and the Graduate School of Education for nearly 15 years. After completing my Ed.M. Reading Specialist degree in 1994, Michael called upon me to assist him in relocating the Reading Clinic to a new location in Baldy Hall, which allowed us to expand both our services and research capabilities. It was there that Michael, as Director, and I, as Associate Director, designed a cutting edge approach to the use of video technologies to foster reflective teaching practices for our students in the clinical practicum. These methodologies and the significant impact we observed on both the teacher and the child became the subject of my research and dissertation, which I proudly defended as a Ph.D. candidate in 2007 with Michael as my advisor. I owe a debt of gratitude to this wonderful teacher and mentor who showed me through his extensive knowledge, compassion and commitment to the field of reading education that every child can and should learn to read. “Good show,” Michael Kibby- you definitely left this world better than you found it, but it will never be the same without you.
Mike Kibby was clearly one of the finest professors with whom I had the privilege to study in my doctoral program. I attribute everything I know about qualitative and quantitative research methods to his tutelage. I remember working harder than I have ever had to work to be sure I “got it,” but along the way, those witticisms cited in this tribute kept us laughing and reminded us that he knew us first as people and only second as developing scholars. As I complete my 11th year as Dean of the School of Education at Buffalo State University, I attribute the formation of my leadership skills, my respect for the academic enterprise and my ability to read critically, think deeply and question misinformation to Mr. Kibby (Yep, we weren’t allowed to call him “Doctor”). So many of us are what we are because he was an integral part of our academic journey. He is dearly missed.
I met Michael when I was an elementary school teacher in Williamsville, and he was leading a professional development session focused on reading difficulties. He actively encouraged me to begin the Master’s program at UB, and then to work on my doctorate. Throughout my graduate studies, and beyond, he was my advisor, mentor, friend, and ever-present champion. The high expectations he held for his students spurred tremendous learning for me. He also held very, very high expectations for himself, as a teacher and a scholar. His many and varied contributions to the field lived up to those expectations and will carry on.
I have so many wonderful memories of Michael, including his famous sayings (e.g., “You should be able to explain your dissertation to your mother, no offense to your mother”) and his beloved (at least at that time) chicory coffee in a coffee mug that had a whale tail as a handle. But the most profound memories are far deeper—his slow and steady guidance “behind the glass” at the UB Reading Clinic in the 1980’s; his regular invitations to get a bowl of soup for lunch in Baldy Hall and chat casually about my doctoral studies; his presence with Carol at my wedding; and his profound love for his family which was always evident. I knew at the time that I was lucky to have Michael as my advisor, but it wasn’t until I became a professor myself that I truly understood the time and energy he had invested in me. To this day, I share so much of his wisdom with my own doctoral students. It’s still relevant. Carol and family: I am holding you all in my heart, celebrating Michael’s memory, and grieving this incredible loss.
One of the things I loved most about Michael was that he was a master storyteller and his many sayings. He was also the first person I recalled meeting who hated making phone calls as much I do and we had a good laugh about that–as well as a discussion about party lines. When I was first hired at UB in a conversation about research, he said rather bluntly “Well, your major contribution will be in theory.” Turns out, he was probably right about that, and it shows another gift of Michael’s of sizing people up and noting their strong suit, even if they didn’t see it themselves. I was always in awe of his knowledge of reading and the ways in which he understood children and never gave up on them and finding out what was really going on. When Michael retired from UB, I stepped into what I assumed would be a temporary assignment as director of the reading clinic/Center for Literacy and Reading Instruction. The center continued its good work with children with much help Dr. Deb Dechert and later Dr. Ashlee Campbell and many other wonderful literacy faculty. The center and its programs still focus on helping children learn to read, especially those who struggle most and helping teachers learn how to teach. There are new faculty, more outreach, and expanded programs, but none of that would have been possible without Michael. He had the biggest heart for kids.