Stephen Tibbits

Stephen Tibbits, of Lakeview Terrace in Altoona, Florida passed away on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Born September 11, 1942, in Oneida New York, the son of Kenneth and Marion Hyland Tibbits, he graduated from Oneida High School, where he was a three letterman in Football, Basketball and Baseball. He furthered his education at State University of New York at Cortland, where he became involved in campus politics and served as the Student Government President, the treasurer of the Faculty-Student Association, and held statewide offices in the Confederated Student Governments of the State of New York. He was instrumental in preserving tuition free education for students in the NY State College and University system while at Cortland, fighting Nelson Rockefeller for two and a half years before tuition was imposed. He continued his education at SUNY Albany where he received his M.A. and Doctorate degrees. He held various administration positions for the next 22 years in Higher Education in NY and Pennsylvania, with his last position at Kutztown University serving as the Acting Dean of Students. At Kutztown University he created a program for non-traditional students which mentored and supported students who were over 24 years old or were returning to college after other careers. He was listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities both as a student and as a staff member. While living in Kutztown & Allentown, he was active in the local Catholic churches, serving as a lector for Sunday services and with the Bishop of the Allentown Diocese In 1987 he relocated to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina where he worked in Sales and Marketing for custom home builders. He served as president of the Country Club of Hilton Head and of the local Kiwanis Club. A devout Roman Catholic, he continued his service as lector for Sunday services at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic church. In 2006 Steve retired and moved to Royal Highlands in Leesburg, Florida. A member of the Monarch Golf Club at Royal Highlands, he served on its Board of Directors and continued his avid participation in the game of golf. His early athletic pursuits had evolved into a love for golf and for many years played between 160 and 250 rounds of golf a year; during that time, he had seven holes in one, and maintained a single digit handicap for over 19 years. Since 2013, he and his wife Christine have lived in Lakeview Terrace, a continuing care community in Altoona, Florida. A member of St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church in Eustis he served as a lector and an Eucharistic Minister to the sick. He is survived by his wife, Christine Treuenfels Tibbits and his daughter Gretchen who lives in New York City. A memorial service will be held in the Clubhouse of Lakeview Terrace on Tuesday, August 27 at 3:00 p.m., and a memorial mass will be celebrated at St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church in Eustis, Florida on Wednesday, August 28 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Tibbits/Watrous Environmental Science Scholarship Fund, Kutztown University, P.O. Box 151, Kutztown University, Kutztown, Pa. 19530. Arrangements entrusted to Beyers Funeral Home of Umatilla, Florida.

Stephen Tibbits

September 11, 1942 - August 22, 2024