Nicholas Arthur Bibby

Nicholas Arthur Bibby, 76, of Orange Beach (Ono Island), Alabama, passed away in peace on May 20, 2023. Nick was born on March 9, 1947 in Lynn, Massachusetts to Alfred T. Bibby and Ruth Abbie Morley. He was a graduate of Lynnfield High School and went on to earn undergraduate and M.B.A degrees from Boston University, later acquiring a master’s degree in counseling from Louisiana Tech University. A passionate and lifelong leader and learner, Nick had an unwavering and unabashed love for his country, serving in the Navy before joining the United States Marine Corps as an infantry officer. Nick served in leadership combat duty roles in Vietnam, earning the rank of Captain. After his military service, Nick flourished in his professional life. His work at ITT Corporation, where he rose to leadership ranks at an early age, took him to corporate posts across the Midwest and the Northeast. Restless with corporate life, Nick answered the call of entrepreneurship and eventually became the owner of two real estate offices in Massachusetts. His experiences with entrepreneurship fueled his deeply personal commitment to small business ownership and to the entrepreneurial spirit, and became the catalyst for starting a business franchising consultancy, the Bibby Group, that drew clients from around the world. An early adopter of the internet as a business tool, Nick was on the leading edge of using technology to educate and inspire small business owners. Nick was a prolific writer and the author of hundreds of articles featured on his own websites as well as on other national business-related platforms. He was a nationally-certified court expert witness in franchising, and became a sought-after guest for news sites, podcasts, and other platforms on the topic of franchising. His crowning accomplishment was an online course, The Focus Program for Emerging Entrepreneurs, that continues to serve as a beacon and guidepost for people seeking excellence in entrepreneurship. Nick enjoyed his years on Ono Island, where he was a past president of the Ono Island Men's Club and a volunteer who stood ever-ready to support the peace and security of his friends and neighbors. Nick was predeceased by his son Nicholas Bibby Jr, brother Alfred Bibby and sister-in-law, Gwendolyn Bibby. He is survived by his wife, Adrianne; his daughter Margot Tobin Bibby; his sister Ruth Flynn (David) of Southborough, Mass.; and a host of beloved relatives in the greater Boston, Mass. and Scottsdale, Ariz. regions. Nick wrote these words to eulogize his father, and they apply to Nick as well: “At the end of a tough life, the Lord gave Nick peace and freedom on Earth. Once he discovered the light of peace, he was granted it eternally in his new and superior surroundings.”