Obituary of Richard E. Dibble

Richard Edward Dibble (Dick or Dr. Dibble) was born in 1946 in Elmira, NY to Bernice and Doris Dibble. He was the oldest of four. He went to school in Watkins Glen, was active in his local 4H club, and had a heavy chore load on his family's farm. He left Watkins Glen to pursue his academic goals at both SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany. It was in Albany that he met Josephine Estrada. He proposed after only four months of dating and married in 1973. Five years later they had their first daughter Cristina. Shortly after, they moved to Long Island, where his second daughter, Diana was born. Dick established himself as a respected professional within the field of Human Resources on Long Island. He retired from full-time work in 2010 at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) after 30 years of service. He was an active volunteer board member for ACLD for the past 25 years, and chair of the Town of Hempstead's Workforce Development Board Youth Council. A natural professional mentor to numerous students and professionals, Dick earned four degrees a B.A., M.A., M.B.A, and PhD. His passion for promoting education and professional advancement continues through the Dr. Richard E. Dibble Scholarship Fund. Dick enjoyed the works of English authors John le Carre, P.D. James, and Colin Dexter. He admired fine woodworking (Thos. Moser), art work, and Irish wool sweaters. He was a collector of stamps, coins, and pens. Dick was quick-witted, resilient, and had a great sense of humor. Be it family, friends, neighbors, students, or colleagues, Dick was the go to person when you needed advice. Dick had a love for travel and was fortunate to visit several countries including: Venezuela, New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, England, Netherlands, and Ireland. He never let his use of a wheelchair stop him from doing what he dreamed of which included camping trips with canoeing and portages, sailing through Holland, visiting the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Prime Meridian and Buckingham Palace in England. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Jo Estrada; his daughters, Cristina E. Stroup and Diana E. Becker; son-in-law, Randy Becker; five grandchildren, Thomas (19), Marc (17) Daisy (9), William (6), and Violet (2); his brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Dawn Dibble; and his sister, Susan A. Dibble. Despite having Muscular Dystrophy since he was 18, he achieved much and lived a full life, he was known by all for his strengths, not his limitations. Dick died on October 13, 2018, at 71 years of age. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Dibble scholarship fund at NYIT found at https://apps2.nyit.edu/giving/donate/ Dr. Dibble Scholarship can be found in the 'Designation' drop down box. Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday, October 25, 2018 from 12-2 pm at Vedder and Scott Funeral Home, 122 N. Genesee St., Montour Falls, NY. Burial will follow in Montour Cemetery.