William "Bill" E. Dibb

William “Bill” Dibb passed away in Santa Cruz at the age of 75 on June 29th after a short illness. Bill was a devoted family member and true friend, leaving an indelible mark on the scores of people whose lives he touched over the years.  

Bill was born in San Diego and raised in Walnut Creek and Martinez, California, and over the years made his home in every part of the state — Santa Cruz, Capitola, Humboldt County and Ukiah —making lifelong friends wherever he landed. He graduated from Pleasant Hill High School before heading off to Humboldt State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in History and was a member of the TKE Fraternity. Bill was the TKE Historian and remained friends with his TKE brothers throughout his life and the fraternity always held a special place in his heart.

Bill worked in the lumber industry and did building maintenance in Northern California before moving to Santa Cruz in 1980, where he worked for the San Lorenzo Valley School District for 25 years before retiring in 2005. He remained a life-long learner and enjoyed studying about ancient Rome and Greece and other histories.

A consummate musician, Bill played guitar and piano and sang—talents that he expressed in a host of groups in the Santa Cruz area—Springtide, Low Tide, Full Circle and Annie and the Posse. Over the years he would join his best friends, Geoff Smith and Maria Acosta-Smith, in their back yard or living room with a host of other pickers, drummers, fiddlers and singers and spend hours playing the music they all loved. Bill was a fan of all  kinds of music and followed a multitude of musicians, but one group stood above all the rest: the Grateful Dead.

In addition to making music, Bill loved camping, hiking and cooking—especially his chili salsa, which according to many of his friends was the best chili salsa on Planet Earth.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Mary Lou Dibb, and is survived by his brother, Robert Dibb; his sister Marilyn Dibb Rhodes; his nieces Michelle R. Dibb and Heather L. Pearce; his nephews Brian M. Dibb and Justin R. Dibb; and Geoff, Maria and many friends.

“Look out of any window

Any morning, any evening, any day

Maybe the sun is shining

Birds are winging or rain is falling from a heavy sky...

And it's just a box of rain

Or a ribbon for your hair

Such a long, long time to be gone

And a short time to be there”

Rest easy, Bill. We’ll see you on the other side.