Obituary of Donald Norman Sibley

Donald Sibley, 93, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2023, with his loving family sur-rounding him. Don was a kind and compassionate man, a lifelong learner and teacher. He was curious, loved connecting with people and strove to make the world a better place. Don advocated for human rights, social justice, for those less fortunate and the environment. Don was born on January 22, 1930. Don spent his childhood in the Bronx, graduated from Amherst College, obtained a Master’s from Cornell and a Ph.D from Iowa State University; he served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. Don married Anna Grant with whom they celebrated 70 years of marriage together. Don and Anna served in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala from 1959-1983 where he helped develop a network of innovate programs to support agricultural based communities; he worked with the National Presbyterian Church and the National Council of Churches. From 1983-1987 Don worked with Church World Service, directing resources to refugees throughout Latin America and the Caribbean during a peak refugee crisis. In 1989, Don and Anna moved to North Gorham, Maine. Don volunteered for over a decade with the North Gorham Fire Department. Don and Anna continued leading groups to Central America. In 2011, Don and Anna moved into Loomis Village in South Hadley, MA. Don embraced the Loomis Community making many close friendships and actively working to welcome new members and improve the community experience. Don was a member of the First Congregation Church in South Hadley and worked on social justice issues. He often attended his grandchildren’s sporting events and was a dedicated care partner to Anna. Don is survived by his wife, Anna Grant Sibley, sister, Betsey – Lebanon, NH, his two daughters – Rachel (spouse James - St. Paul, MN) – and Alina (spouse Heidi - South Hadley, MA). His son Grant Sibley preceded Don in death (spouse Laura - Salt Lake City - Utah. Don has six grandchildren (Gabe, Anna, Ian, Eric, Sthela, Liam), three great-grandchildren and extended family. A celebration of Life Service will be held at Loomis Village on March 30, 2024, at 1:00 pm EST; a zoom link will be available a day before the celebration for those who want to appear remotely. Email: donsibleymemories@gmail.com to RSVP for the zoom link, or state if you will appear in person. In his honor, gifts can be made to: Agricultural Missions (475 Riverside Dr., New York, NY), Alzheimer’s Association, Girl’s Inc. of Holyoke.