John Bibber was Brunswick’s Town Manager for 28 years before retiring in 1989. At the time of his retirement, a scholarship fund was established with the Town in John’s honor. In 2018, the Town of Brunswick transferred the Bibber scholarship funds to the Brunswick Area Student Aid Fund.
John grew up in Auburn, Maine and was drafted into the U.S. Army in December of 1944. While in the Army, he was assigned to engineering school before being discharged in 1946. John continued his engineering studies at the University of Maine, graduating in 1948. He began his career in local government administration while in college through internships in Auburn and Presque Isle, and went on to work as town or city manager in Islesboro, Berwick, Old Town, Brunswick, and as interim town manager in Lisbon after his retirement.
John earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Maine in 1956. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Civil Law from Bowdoin College in 1981, for helping foster goodwill between the Town of Brunswick and Bowdoin College.
John was involved in numerous professional and community organizations, including the Maine Municipal Association, Rotary, United Way, Curtis Memorial Library, Maine Maritime Museum and many others. He volunteered for the Baxter State Park Authority on the Park Advisory and Investment Committees. John loved Baxter State Park, having summited Mt. Katahdin for the first time in his youth with military friends and for the last time (50 years later) with family.
John Bibber passed away in March of 2015. His obituary ended with “John thoroughly enjoyed his life in Brunswick.”
Awards from this fund are based on student financial need, after which recipients are requested to be graduates of Brunswick High School.