Allan J. Libbe

1929 - 2025

News story
By Mike Sigov
Blade Staff Writer

Allan J. Libbe, an Army veteran and math teacher who co-founded and helped grow a family operation that built much of the Toledo skyline, died Jan. 22 at Mercy Health Perrysburg Hospital in Perrysburg. He was 95.

Mr. Libbe suffered apparent heart failure, said his son, John Libbe.

Allan Libbe left "a legacy of excellence, integrity, and kindness," Bill Rudolph, Allan Libbe's first cousin once removed who is chairman of the Rudolph Libbe Group, said in a statement.

Mr. Libbe retired from Rudolph Libbe Inc. in 2000 after leading the company's estimating and financial departments for 43 years, having served as the controller, secretary-treasurer, and treasurer.

He was the cousin of the late Fritz Rudolph and his brother Phil Rudolph, fellow co-founders of Rudolph Libbe Inc. and Rudolph Libbe Group. Northwest Ohio's largest locally owned construction firm, Rudolph Libbe Inc. of Walbridge is a part of Rudolph Libbe Group, a provider of construction and facility maintenance services.

Mr. Libbe and his cousins worked "long, hard hours" building the business over the years, John Libbe said.

"The current success of the company stands on the foundation they built," he said. "He cared deeply for and was most proud of the people who worked for the company and who were integral to its success."

Having formed the partnership with his two cousins, the elder Mr. Libbe joined the company full-time in 1957 after four years of teaching math at Lake High School following an honorable discharge from the Army, where he served in the counterintelligence corps stateside for two years during the Korean War.

"Allan was known for his exceptional numerical skills and his kind, thoughtful demeanor," Mr. Rudoph said. "He had an extraordinary ability to review estimates, handwritten on ledger sheets, with totals calculated using a 10-key adding machine."

"His sharp intellect allowed him to spot discrepancies in quantities, unit costs, or column totals that others might overlook," Mr. Rudolph said. "Time and again, his observations proved accurate, reflecting his remarkable numerical aptitudes."

He also had "a genuine love" for co-workers, whose successes he celebrated enthusiastically, Mr. Rudolph said.

"It was common for Allan to treat the estimating team to lunch at Tony Packo's for a hot dog and a beer after winning a project - a gesture that demonstrated his devotion to the team around him," he said.

Over the years, Mr. Libbe also volunteered extensively in the community.

He was a past president of the Maumee Board of Education and a longtime member of the board of trustees at Owens Community College.

Started in 1955 on the Rudolph family farm in Lake Township with just two employees, the company grew to 200 employees by 1971. The firm's first employee was the Rudolph bothers' father, the late John Rudolph.

In 1971, Mr. Libbe, the company's treasurer at the time, told The Blade much of the company's work initially was concentrated in the areas around Toledo but later was moved to the city where its major projects included apartment complexes, churches and industrial plants.

The firm's proudest general contracting jobs by that time included the Ritter Planetarium, the 16-story Parks Tower dormitory, both at the University of Toledo; the Blue Cross building; the Community Services building; and the St. Luke's and Riverside hospitals.

By 1987, the then $139.2-million family operation had also erected buildings and plants for most of the major corporations in northwest Ohio. Among them were Owens-Illinois, Inc., Dana Corp., the former Champion Plug Co. plant in Toledo, 17 industrial and warehouse buildings in Maumee's Arrowhead Industrial Park, and buildings for automotive companies.

Rudolph Libbe, Inc. also managed the construction of Toledo's Maritime Building, the Four SeaGate building, the Trustcorp, Inc. headquarters building, the Radisson Hotel, and Fort Industry Square, among others, in the renovation of the city's downtown.

Most recently, the company was hired by the Perrysburg Township trustees in 2024 to lead construction of a $3.7 million administration building.

The company, which pioneered "tilt up" and prefabricated construction techniques to reduce construction time and costs, has been consistently ranked by Engineering News-Record as one of the nation's Top 400 contractors for at least the past 24 years.

Mr. Libbe told the Blade in 1971 he attributed part of the firm's success to the fact that two of the principals in the partnership, his cousins the Rudolph brothers, usually were in the field watching details and keeping tabs on the projects while all three of them were "all very conscious of costs."

Born Oct. 25, 1929, in Sycamore, Ill., to Edith and Leonard Libbe, he graduated in 1947 from Findlay High School and later, in 1951, from Bowling Green State University, with two bachelor's degrees, one in mathematics and the other in history.

"He was a great father and role model," John Libbe said. "Despite the demands of owning and running the business, he was always there to support me and my sister in all our activities."

In his free time, Mr. Libbe enjoyed reading, especially history; playing tennis; and traveling with his late wife of 65 years, Suzanne Libbe. Over the years, they visited all seven continents together. Mrs. Libbe died in 2021 at age 91.

Mr. Libbe was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Maumee.

Surviving are his daughter, Margaret St. John; son, John Libbe; seven grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday in the Witzler-Shank-Walker Funeral Home, Perrysburg.

On Saturday, visitation will resume at 10 a.m. at the church, where a funeral service will immediately follow at 11 a.m.

The family suggests tributes to the church.