Tributes

Darrel Dwight Bibler, Jr. was born July 7, 1935, in Bucyrus, Ohio, to Darrel Sr. and Effie. He graduated from Bucyrus High School, where he was elected to the National Honor Society and graduated in 1953. He played varsity football and basketball. In addition, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He attended Denison University from 1953 to 1957 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his junior year. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and served as its president his senior year. He earned his Bachelor of Science in biology. He attended Harvard Medical School from 1957 to 1961 and, while a student there, became a member of the Aesculapian Club, an organization dedicated to welcoming and giving white coats to incoming first-year students. He earned his Doctor of Medicine at Harvard in 1961. After graduation from Harvard, Darrel performed his surgical internship at King County Hospital, now known as Harborview Medical Center. While working there, he met Jean Priscilla Jacobson, a nurse on the surgical floor, in August 1961. They fell in love and were married on April 28, 1962. Darrel entered the University of Washington surgical residency program in July that year, where he was chief resident from July 1967 to December 1968. Jean and Darrel lost their first child, Karen Leslie, as a newborn but were blessed with the births of two sons, Jeffrey Alan and Jonathan Andrew, in 1966 and 1967, respectively. Jean and he became members of the First Presbyterian Church of Seattle. While working in the surgical research lab at the University of Washington, he wrote and presented a research paper to the International Society of Surgery at its meeting in Philadelphia in 1964, where all papers presented were translated simultaneously into six languages. In January of 1969, the family moved to Corvallis where Darrel joined the Corvallis Clinic as a general surgeon. Darrel was also a member of the Good Samaritan Hospital medical staff and served on numerous committees at the Corvallis Clinic. He was president of the Clinic board and the Good Samaritan Medical staff, each for one term, and was a part of the first class to be recertified by the American Board of Surgery. In addition, he was a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Oregon Medical Association. Darrel practiced surgery until December 31, 1999, when he retired. Soon after moving to Corvallis, he and Jean joined the First Presbyterian Church, where Darrel served as an Elder on the Session. He also served as a member of Physicians for Social Responsibility and, with others, helped lobby the Oregon legislature to pass one of the nation's first mandatory seat belt laws. He was a charter member of the Timberhill Tennis Club and Timberhill Athletic Club and later became a member of the Corvallis Country Club. He was also an avid OSU Beaver fan, having season tickets for football and basketball from 1969 to 2015. He volunteered his time to perform physical examinations on the incoming athletes at OSU for many years. Darrel enjoyed skiing, camping, and backpacking with his two sons and friends. After Darrel retired from the Corvallis Clinic in 2000, he and Jean rediscovered their love of travel and went on many trips with Jean's brother Bob and his wife Mary Lynn. Their destinations included Scandinavia, Central Europe, the UK, the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal, Mexico, Hawaii, and Russia. Darrel also spent two one-week tours of service with Faith in Practice, an NGO headquartered in Houston, assisting in surgery in Antigua, Guatemala, in 2000 and 2002. He lost his beloved Jean to cancer on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. After serious health issues in 2018, he entered assisted living at Timberhill Place in Corvallis, where he quietly passed away surrounded by his family on April 24, 2023. Darrel delighted in telling stories and jokes and sharing adventures of his travels with family and friends. A gregarious, witty and fun-loving man, he loved and was loved by his family who will miss him dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents Darrel Sr. and Effie, brother Ned, and Ned’s wife, Jane. He is survived by his sons Jeff and Jon, daughter-in-law Ann, grandsons Will and Nate, sister-in-law Gwen (Ned's second wife), brother-in-law Bob Jacobson, and his wife Mary Lynn, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the wonderful caregivers at Timberhill Place. In lieu of flowers, please give to your favorite charity in care of the McHenry Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held on July 1st, 2023, at 11:00 AM at the First Presbyterian Church, 114 SW 8th St, Corvallis, OR 97330; a reception will follow. All are welcome to attend and share in remembrances of Darrel's life.

Tributes

Dr. Darrel Dwight Bibler Jr.

July 7, 1935 - April 24, 2023