Kibby, Michael

Nov 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 http://www.TheDietrichFuneralHome.com

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Published by Buffalo News on Jun. 2, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Michael Kibby

4 Entries

Mary Shea

June 29, 2024

Dr. Libby will forever epitomize teaching excellence. With a deep understanding of and passion for his discipline, he appropriately maintained high expectations for students and fostered learning in a caring environment. His legacy lives on in all he educated.

Karen Wieland

June 15, 2024

I was very sad to learn of Michael´s passing and offer my deepest condolences to the family.

Michael was one of my major professors in graduate school as well as my dissertation advisor. While teaching at The Gow School and working in a master´s in Theater and Dance, I talked my way into Michael´s course on reading diagnosis. (Like all his students, I called him Mr. Kibby back then. He was annoyed if we called him Doctor, saying, "The only person who I let call me Doctor is my mother!). This intensive course lit a spark in me, and with Michael´s encouragement, I switched over to the Reading Specialist master´s program. I was later invited to apply to the doctoral program and to work for several years with Michael in a research assistant capacity and in the Center for Literacy and Reading Instruction (CLaRI) as a graduate assistant.

Michael was more than a great teacher-he was a mentor who involved me and his other doctoral candidates in research and writing and conference presentations. He created opportunities for us to gain experience teaching courses within the department. He also helped us navigate the job market and advised us about getting started on the tenure track. Further, Michael was a wonderful role model: his intellect, insight, work ethic, and commitment to teacher preparation were extraordinary.

Michael retired in 2008 after shepherding his last three candidates - me, Tanya Christ, and Debra Dechert - through our dissertations. Then he embraced the joys of retirement with gusto: biking, traveling, reading voraciously, and spending time in the company of his beautiful wife Carol, his children and grandchildren, and a wide network of colleagues and friends. His was most assuredly a life well-lived, and I thank heaven that his intersected with mine. I know many thousands of others feel the same.

Rest in peace, Michael. We miss you already.

Judith Frank

June 9, 2024

Dr. Kibby was a font of knowledge and perhaps the toughest, yet fairest of professors I had in grad school. I loved his asides, or “marginalia” as he called it. He taught us to backup our opinions with research. The reading community has suffered a great loss. My sympathies to his family. He really was bigger than life.

June Justice Crawford

June 2, 2024

Dr. Kibby (I never could call him Mike despite his urging it after I retired!) was revered and loved by so many of us who learned from him in the Reading Clinic. He was probably the toughest prof I ever had but - wow- did we learn! I had an opportunity to have lunch with him when I moved back to Buffalo and have always been glad that I was able to thank him. My sincere sympathies to your family.

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