Charles Clayton Bibbee, 82, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2023, at Hubbard Hospice House after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Rossell Bibbee, his mother, Helen Swearengen Bibbee, and his sister, Rebecca Bibbee Deison, all of Clarksburg.
Chuck grew up in Clarksburg and, as a basketball standout at Washington Irving High School, was a freshman walk-on at West Virginia University men’s basketball team. He was an outstanding athlete who focused on tennis and was a four-year letterman at West Virginia University.
Chuck moved to Pittsburgh after graduating as a civil engineer, where he met his wife of 57 years, Pat. They moved to Charleston in 1969, where they began a life with many friends and experiences.
Chuck enjoyed many years at the Charleston Tennis Club. He was on the USTA national championship men’s tennis 4.0 team. He passed his love of the game to his son, Clay Bibbee, who also played on the West Virginia University men’s varsity tennis team. He was a consummate athlete, and after his tennis career was over, he became an avid golfer.
Chuck loved his dogs and was always considered a dog whisperer. When he was a child, the boy next door said all he wanted for Christmas was a dog who would love him as much as Chuck’s dog loved him. He and his daughter, Alison, shared this love of animals and nurtured rabbits, birds, and whatever animals wandered into their lives.
Chuck was president of Coal Fillers Inc. until his retirement in 2015. He loved his professional career, which took him all over the world.
His 10-year journey with Alzheimer’s was filled with loving family and trusted friends who were with him every step of the way. Chuck’s friends have reflected that he was the kindest and most honest man they have known.
Left to remember Chuck are his wife, Patricia Sill Bibbee, his daughter, Alison Judge Bibbee, both of Charleston; his son, Charles Clayton Bibbee Jr.; and his three beloved grandchildren, Caroline Anne Bibbee, Charles Clayton Bibbee III, and Sarah Jane Alison Bibbee (all tennis players) of Madison, N.J.
The family would like to thank Lesia Warner, who helped manage Chuck’s care, and his Caregivers: Dawn, Becky, Pat, Connie, Maxine, Missy, Olga, and Karen. The family would also like to give special thanks to Janice Hicks, Mick Givens, and Ted Priestly.
We also thank Cathy and Jared at Arthur B. Hodges Memory Care, Dr. Katherine Calloway, and the excellent staff at Hubbard Hospice House.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute for Alzheimer’s Research, c/o the WVU Foundation, Attention Tim Bolling, (PO Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507-1650) or online at https://rni.wvumedicine. org/ and St. Matthews Episcopal Church (35 Norwood Rd, Charleston, WV, 25314).
A Memorial Service to celebrate Chuck’s life will be held at St. Matthews Episcopal Church, Charleston at 11 a.m., Friday, August 25.
Memories of Chuck may be shared by visiting http://snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting the obituary. Snodgrass Funeral Home of South Charleston is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements.
