A day after his plane went missing, prominent Vancouver resident John McKibbin was remembered by community members as kind, caring and a relentless advocate for Clark County.
McKibbin, a private pilot, went for a flight in his vintage plane with a friend, Irene Mustain, so she could spread the ashes of her late husband, Terry Mustain, an Air Force veteran who died on Oct. 18, 2013. They went out on Wednesday, which would have been Terry Mustain’s 69th birthday. But their plane reportedly crashed into the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore.
Back in Clark County, plenty of residents reminisced Thursday about McKibbin’s work for the community as a teacher, elected official and volunteer.
“We lost a powerhouse,” said Nelson Holmberg, vice president of innovation with the Port of Ridgefield. “John — with his passion of aviation, for this community, for Washington and for the Pacific Northwest — he had that energy that would go a long way toward solving problems.”
Holmberg, who also worked for the Port of Vancouver, the Port of Woodland and consulting firm BergerABAM, has known and worked with McKibbin for more than 10 years.
“No matter if we were in Olympia working on transportation issues or here in Vancouver trying to recruit a business, John had an energy that would not stop,” he said. “We’re going to miss that.”
Jean Ryland, a former longtime neighbor of John and Nancy McKibbin’s, said that sense of community and commitment was evident at home as well as in the office. She said a group of neighbors met regularly for dinners, as well as on Christmas Eve and sometimes for brunch on Christmas Day.
“John has always had a really good work ethic, a wonderful way of communicating with people and has been highly respected by people he’s worked with,” Ryland said. “He’s going to be sorely missed by not only those who knew him well as a friend and loved him, but also by people who knew him in the work setting, because he was a kind and caring and respectful individual.”
It was not uncommon for someone who worked with McKibbin to also refer to him as a friend.
“You don’t have to know him for very long before you feel like you’re good friends,” said Mike Bomar, president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council.
After working as an elected official on the state and county level for more than 20 years, McKibbin, a Democrat, went into real estate and served in numerous volunteer and leadership capacities for local organizations, including the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Clark County and Habitat for Humanity.
Bomar said he and the CREDC worked with McKibbin for more than 10 years on key issues facing Clark County.
“He had a strong influence and impact on economic development in Clark County through a variety of hats he’s worn,” Bomar said. “He’s high integrity. He can be both diplomatic and at the same time aggressive in moving issues forward.”
Mark Benson, a former Camas resident who now lives in Hawaii, also said he was a business partner and friend of McKibbin’s. Benson said it’s easy to say nice things about a person when they’re no longer living, but McKibbin is someone people would compliment while he was alive.
“I don’t think I met a better person in my life,” Benson said. “It’s a sad, sad day. He was a fantastic human being.”
Elected officials also remembered McKibbin as a pillar of the community.
“This is a devastating loss for our region and to me personally,” Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, said. “John’s caring, public service, leadership and willingness to tackle tough issues made me his devoted friend.”
Vancouver City Councilor Anne McEnerny-Ogle tweeted: “John had a passion for his work not only in the classroom, but in Vancouver, in Clark County and the state.”
On Facebook, U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, wrote, “Clark County has lost an important member of its community. John McKibbin so clearly demonstrated his passion for improving our quality of life, and his dedication will be sorely missed.”
“Our community has suffered a great loss,” Clark County council Chair Marc Boldt said in a statement praising McKibbin for his work as a “tireless, dedicated public servant.” Starting Monday, Boldt added, flags at all county facilities will fly at half-staff for five days.
Boldt’s statement also ran through many of McKibbin’s accomplishments.
“John was known for getting things done by bringing together people from all sides of an issue,” Boldt said in his release. “Before the state Growth Management Act of 1990, he was one of the earliest proponents of managing the county’s growth. In that way, he laid a foundation for how to think about change and still maintain the best of what is Clark County. He was a true leader who worked for and spoke on behalf of the community.”
Lauren Dake of The Columbian contributed to this report.
