Dear Bibb Family,

Please accept my apology for not reading your obituary correctly.
I am sorry for your loss.  

Dr. Marsha Gordon




I will forever remember Kelly always making sure that the Regional Office had a copy of the yearly Endangered Species planner. It's a calendar filled with pictures of endangered species drawn by students, grades K-12. Kelly always seem to take such pride in passing out the calendars. I believe it was because the calendar represented two things she cared a lot about, animals and kids.  She seemed so impressed by the students' artistic skills and creativity. 
Around the office, Kelly was quiet and soft spoken but she most certainly had presence!! She will truly be missed.

I first met Kelly when I started my career with the Fish and Wildlife Service in the Tennessee Field Office, almost 20 years ago, and have worked with her in different capacities since.  She provided tremendous support to our field offices, and was a critical player in a number of conservation successes over the years.  I was always impressed by her passion for, and dedication to, threatened and endangered species.  Please accept my condolences for your loss.  As evident from the posts here, Kelly's memory will live on in our agency and in the conservation community.  

My deep condolences to Kelly’s father and family, and I, among so many others, share in your loss.  
Kelly and I were professional counterparts and confidants for decades, and we were, along with our other USFWS recovery colleagues, true believers in the power of the ESA to help us bring plants and critters, great and small, back to health in the wild.  Over the years, we had many brainstorming conversations, many “gripe sessions,” and many laughs.  
Kelly was a singular personality, a pit bull (in the best sense!), and a true friend.  My fridge will continue to host the smiley face magnets she sent me one Christmas.  Kelly never stopped fighting the good fight, and she will always have my love and respect.

Jennifer and the Family,

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.   I enjoyed all the conversations we shared over the years.  It is hard to believe we actually got some dentistry completed with all the talking.   When you have time, I would love to hear from you: 770-457-3158 cell.

With Sympathy,
Dr. Marsha A. Gordon ( your dentist)

I had the pleasure of meeting Kelly through ballroom dance.  For a few years we had the same teacher / dance partner. In fact, Kelly helped me locate a vendor to make my first ballroom gown. Kelly was also quiet, kind, and helpful to those of us in the ballroom community. My heartfelt and deepest condolences to her family and co-workers. 

I have known Kelly for approximately 20 years as both a colleague and as a good friend.  Kelly’s ability to combine her passion for conservation with empathy and compassion for people carrying out those actions was an amazing gift for anyone fortunate enough to know her.  Kelly would regularly remind me of what is right in this world by providing me with examples of conservation success stories.  She also helped me immensely when my mother passed away, and for that I will be eternally grateful.  I do hope that Kelly’s family will take solace in knowing what a tremendous impact Kelly had in this world, and what a wonderful person she was.  I will miss my dear friend, and remember her fondly.  Rest In Peace Kelly. 

I have lived in Lake Forest for 38 years. I came to know Kelly and her sister Jennifer through the years as we all were avid dog walkers and would run into each other down by the river or at Newtown Park. About 3 years ago, there was a rather large turtle in the road here at Lake Forest. As Kelly lived on the lake, I stopped and she happily assisted in taking it down to the water.  While I did not know them well, I always described them to friends as two very close sisters who were always full of positive energy and love.  I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Kelly and I worked together for over twenty years on Endangered Species Act rules and related litigation.   Kelly was an uncompromising and outspoken advocate for conservation.   She was a hard worker and was always looking for ways to do her job better.    Giving Kelly legal advice was an interesting experience:  she was always grateful and appreciative, but often demanded more explanation and detail--pat answers would not do.    Kelly was generous with her time and her expertise, always willing to help even when she was swamped with her own work.   Similarly, she was kind and compassionate, ready to comfort others in bad situations even in the midst of her own illnesses and griefs.  Kelly was a special person, and I will miss her.

Kelly was an inspiration to me.  She was my trusted colleague for close to 20 years who grew into a friend.  I had one of her favorite sayings “Do your best and forget the rest” taped in a prominent spot on my desk.  That epitomized Kelly to me. I never knew her to do anything less than her best – I just don’t think that was in her make up.  She was a champion for wildlife conservation. She had a rock solid integrity and the courage to back it up. 
She was the go-to person for me in getting details of the biology and regulatory matters correctly into one package. She was great it, not because she was a knit picker, but because she knew it all mattered and that if we did our jobs to our best ability then plant and wildlife conservation would benefit.  For me, she was the calm in many storms of deadlines and controversial issues.  She was the glue that held me and many other field biologists and partners together during those times. 
I don’t think it will be possible to know just how many species of plants and wildlife are better off for Kelly’s efforts. She worked tirelessly both within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and with outside partners throughout the Southeast to secure funding for threatened and endangered species recovery.  She really enjoyed seeing the Endangered Species Day activities Field Offices were able to conduct as a result of her efforts. Thank you Kelly for your spirit and dedication.  
During the time we worked together and after I retired, she and I both experienced some personal loses. She was always there for me.  I hope she felt the same of me for her.  So many of our messages and voice mails started off with “How are you doing” or “Are you OK?” We’d exchange silly animal photos to lift each other’s spirits – I’ll miss that.   I was looking forward to seeing her this spring so she could see, as a result of her efforts, the whooping cranes that are once again in Louisiana.   I know I will never look at one again without thinking of her. 


     In my world, Kelly will be remembered as one of the “shepherds” of Whooping Crane Recovery… She helped steer 2 Endangered Species Act Rules to reintroduce whooping cranes back into the wild in Eastern North America. 
     One reintroduction project captured “the imagination of the world” (and Kelly’s) as we taught young whooping cranes to imprint on surrogate parents who carried a crane puppet head and were dressed in a white costumes to mask the human form.  The chicks learned to follow their surrogate parents and fly behind ultralight aircraft which lead these young naïve birds on to migration from Wisconsin to winter in the salt marshes of Chassahowitzka and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuges along Florida’s Gulf Coast and Wheeler NWR in Alabama. The other reintroduction brought a non-migratory population of whooping cranes back to a special place known locally as the “Cajun Prairie” of Southwest Louisiana where whooping cranes were last observed in the late 1940s.
     Imagine that… two wild whooping crane populations east of the Mississippi River! and Kelly helped make this happen.
     To me, one of Kelly’s greatest gifts was her “can do” willingness to help secure funding for whooping crane reintroductions and the captive breeding facilities that supported them, like the Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans who care for captive whooping cranes that lay eggs, hatch and raise chicks to be released back into the wild where they once occurred.
     As a final note, Kelly loved to share photos of baby animals.  It was always a highlight of my day to be able to send Kelly pictures of recently hatched baby whooping cranes because her reaction was always fun to read and she was always in awe to receive those photographs of our recovery successes.
     I thank you Kelly Bibb from the bottom of my heart for your willingness to make the world a better place as a “shepherd” of many of the world’s endangered species…..    Billy Brooks



Thanks for caring for all the stream creatures Kelly, you will be missed!

I met Kelly in the 1990's and was immediately impressed by her passion and dedication for conservation of our natural resources, her warm and endearing personality, and great ability to facilitate people with sometimes differing opinions. I was very fortunate to work with Kelly and colleagues on a conservation strategy for southeastern fishes, which I like to think was the foundation for eventual formation of the Southeastern Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) and other subsequent conservation efforts in the region (see https://www.sherpaguides.com/southeast/aquatic_fauna/strategy/index.html). Kelly's enthusiasm and visionary ideas were instrumental in these endeavors. The USFWS has lost a devoted ambassador for conservation, and all of us have lost a great friend and colleague, but I am confident that her memory will live on as aquatic resources of the Southeast are restored and protected in the future. My sincerest condolences to Kelly's loved ones.

Kelly was an inspiration, a tireless advocate for the vanishing species and habitats that she worked so hard to save. Her sterling integrity, her courage, her kindness to others, and her irrepressible optimism always shone through, in spite of the many hardships and tragedies she faced. She has left an indelible legacy and an example for others to emulate, both personally and professionally.  Her untimely death is a great loss to the many who loved her, and to the conservation mission of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

My sincere condolences to Kelly's family, friends, and co-workers.  I worked with Kelly for several years at both the field and regional levels.  Kelly had an incredibly kind heart and was a dedicated advocate for species conservation.  Her support and guidance to the field offices were invaluable.  When I worked in the Regional Office with her, she was often my go-to source for information, guidance, and support.  Some of my fondest memories of her include the way she embraced the holidays--she would decorate her office and seemed to have pins, earrings, or other trinkets for every occasion.  In fact, the last time I saw her was this past Valentine's Day.  She was wearing a red sweater and a heart-shaped pin.  Having moved to the West several years ago, I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be in the Regional Office that week and had the chance to say hello and chat with Kelly again.  Her smile and her laugh were always such a delight. 
Rest in peace, dear sweet Kelly. 

I’m so sad to hear of Kelly’s passing. I had the good fortune of working with her at the field and regional levels. Kelly was dedicated to assisting the field and upper management through her knowledge of the Endangered Species Act and supporting programs. What a source of information and expertise! Thank you Kelly for all your help. I also had the pleasure of her sharing with me her ballroom dancing exploits. Wow! A side of  Kelly that seemed out of character but really was not! May you now Rest In Peace. 

just came across this....

https://www.facebook.com/usfwsalabama/posts/2264821363581042

Kelly was widely respected for her passion and tireless work on the conservation of imperiled species and for her support for FWS staff in the field.  She was a good person and a good friend--someone you could rely to do the right thing.  We will miss her, but her many contributions will live on.  We were fortunate to have had her as a friend and colleague.

I am so sad that Kelly is gone. There have been times when I have been in contact with her frequently, depending on what she was working on, and I felt as though we shared some personal stuff, both heavy and light -- the latter including our mutual love of Timothy Olyphant. Kelly's home in the Atlanta area is near that of a close friend of mine, and I had been hoping to meet her in person when I visit my friend.

I will definitely miss her. If I haven't heard from her in a while, I like to message her, and I was just thinking about her a few days ago.

I knew she was in deep mourning for the loss of her twin sister, and that her mom died a few years before that. My heart goes out to her dad. I just can't imagine what he must be going through right now.

Sara

Kelly truly lived her life in service to others.  I always appreciated her straightforward honesty, integrity, and sharp intelligence.  A remarkable women who touched everyone she met.  I’ll miss our talks.  God bless your family and comfort them through this time of mourning and remembrance.


I met Kelly soon after I started my career with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003, but I didn't get to know her on a more personal level until almost a decade later. She was an amazing person! She lived a wholehearted life despite all the hardships and tragedies she encountered. She modeled the lessons outlined in Brene Brown's book "The Gifts of Imperfection".  I realize that Kelly was so special to me because she embodied all of the guideposts in Brene Brown's book and she leaves a legacy of kindness and love because of who she was. The bottom line is that Kelly touched my heart and I will remember her through regularly practicing both gratitude and kindness and striving to live wholeheartedly. In the end only kindness matters! 

I had the privilege to work with Kelly for over a decade.  Kelly was a champion for threatened and endangered species throughout the Southeast and always fought on behalf of the species.  I we always remember Kelly's pleasant nature and enthusiasm for life.  You will be forever loved and missed.  

I worked with Kelly as part of a national team for more than 15 years and knew her as a dedicated and passionate conservationist.  I also remember her kindness.  One particular memory has stayed with me for years. I did a 2 week detail in the Atlanta office to work directly with Kelly; when I checked into my hotel I found a welcome basket that Kelly dropped off for me earlier in the day.  I was so touched by her thoughtfulness. The species and people she cared about have lost an incredible advocate.  Kelly will be missed.

Kelly was a friend from work. We shared many memories over the past 16 years. We also shared the love of family and our pets who were also our family. She was always there to listen. She was caring and never passed up the chance to check on me. We went through some hard times together as each of us suffered the loss of our parent. And again when we lost our fur babies. I will miss her trying to cheer  me up whenever she knew I was down. I will miss her dearly.  This is a great loss for her FWS family. We love you Kelly. 

Kelly was a shining star. I was blessed to know her professionally but it was easy to make a human connection if you saw the handbags she carried! Our love for Betsy Johnson "pocketbooks" will remain and I will carry mine proudly in her honor. Rest in Peace sweet soul.  

My deepest condolences to Kelly’s family and friends. Words cannot express my sadness for losing a good friend and a work partner. Kelly was one of the most sincere person I have known. She was a very hard working person and very passionate about conservation. It was an honor to have known such a great woman and I will truly miss her. "May The Force Be With You" and RIP my friend!.



I remember a wonderful day on the Conasauga River with Kelly and her twin sister. I had masks and snorkels for both of them. I had a great picture I sent Kelly of them both snorkeling next to each other like synchronized swimmers. Thay had a great day enjoying the biodiversity of the Conasauga.  She was always so helpful for us in the field offices. 

I had the privilege of working with Kelly for a decade and a half on recovery of threatened and endangered species.  I can’t think of a more dedicated, passionate conservationist. Kelly was a committed champion for efforts to recover listed species and for the field staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners in those efforts. She was instrumental in pulling together the first meeting of Service botanists from the southeast, and she planned to participate in the Southeast Partners in Plant Conservation conference this week in Atlanta. We will miss her, but will honor her strong spirit. 

OBITUARY

Kelly Ann Bibb

July 18, 1972 – February 28, 2020

H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel

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