Our entire local history family was heartbroken by the death of Robert  Kibbee on May 31st 2022. He was an enthusiastic volunteer, a committed trustee, and a visionary leader for The History Center.

In a material way, his leadership on imagining and developing HistoryForge advanced our understanding of Tompkins County significantly. The project combined many of Bob's passions, including maps, census data, genealogy, and local history.

It was a true honor and privilege for our staff to work alongside Bob over countless hours to realize the HistoryForge project. The project is active here in Ithaca, Elmira, Auburn, and Oberlin (OH), and is preparing to expand to include all of Tompkins County and other communities. HistoryForge is innovative, promotes deep and critical thinking about our community, and inspires folks from all walks of life to engage in new ways with our shared past. All of these project characteristics are reflective of Bob's character. He was a friend, a mentor, and a valuable leader for us as individuals, and as an organization.

We are committed to continuing the HistoryForge project as a small way of honoring all of Bob's contributions to our community. His passing is a true loss, and we will miss his presence deeply.

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Bob's obituary and memorial services are being coordinated by his family and Ness-Sibley Funeral Home. We encourage everyone to share their memories of Bob on the Tribute Wall on his memorial page to be shared with his family.