Lance M. Tibbetts

Lance M. Tibbetts, 75, of Foster, RI, and New Hampton, NH, died October 8, 2023, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Linda (Los) Tibbetts; his daughter Amy Tibbetts of Foster; his son Andrew Tibbetts and daughter-in-law Lindsay Jones of Baltimore, MD; and his granddaughters Fallon and Stella Jones of Baltimore. Lance was the beloved brother to six siblings: Nicholas Tibbetts of Indian Harbor Beach, FL; the late Kathy Brown (John) of Palm Bay, FL; Laurie Johnson (Darrell) of Cocoa, FL; Marc Tibbetts of Melbourne, FL; the late David Tibbetts (Helen) of Columbia, TN; and Norma Downing (Thomas) of Aylett, VA. Lance was uncle to many nieces, nephews, and grand-nephews. He was the beloved stepson of the late Cymbeline (Smith) Tibbetts of New Hampton, NH. He was the brother-in-law of Camilla Los of Westport, MA. Born in Franklin, NH, on August 14, 1948, Lance was the second eldest of five children born to Norman and Amy (Seaver) Tibbetts of Bristol, NH. Lance was 10 when his mother died. He subsequently spent two years with his aunt, the late Elaine (Smith) Seaver of New Hampton, NH, before Norman married Cymbeline in 1960. The family was reunited in Bristol and grew by two more siblings. Lance graduated from The New Hampton School in 1966, then majored in chemistry at MIT (Class of 1970) before deciding to study medicine. He graduated from Mount Sinai Medical School in 1974 with the goal of helping others through cancer research. After serving in the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD, Lance became a pathologist at Roger Williams Hospital in Providence, RI, where he worked until his retirement in 2012. He always remained deeply devoted to cancer research. Lance and Linda met while working at the hospital and married on November 18, 1978. They shared a love of science and a desire to live in a rural location, raising their two children on 8 acres in Foster. In 1969, while still a student at MIT, Lance had begun building his cabin in New Hampton. Constructing every piece of it himself soon became Lance’s lifelong project and his greatest passion. The cabin grew year by year with the help of Lance’s brothers, cousins, and later Linda and eventually Andrew. Amy and Andrew spent many wonderful weekends and summer vacations there as children and adults; and now Andrew and Lindsay will continue Lance’s legacy at the cabin. Lance remained close to his aunt Elaine and forged a lifelong bond with his youngest cousins, Matt Seaver and the late Erwin Seaver of New Hampton. Lance was proud to watch Matt’s daughter Maggie Seaver grow to adulthood and begin her own family in Santiago, Chile. He also valued his long friendships with cousins Carl and Becky Huard of Danbury, NH, and with his childhood friends Fred and Robert Short, originally of Bristol, NH. Hiking in the White Mountains was Lance’s favorite hobby. Over several decades, Lance and Andrew managed to climb all 48 of the 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire, often with their dog Brody. They also hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire—in day trips over many years! In the early 2000s, Lance began building hand-crafted woodsheds using his own unique tree-trunk design. Soon he built woodsheds in both Rhode Island and New Hampshire for relatives, friends, and neighbors. He enjoyed being outdoors, working with equipment, and riding his ATV through the trails on his land. Sadly, Lance’s plans to enjoy retirement were derailed by Parkinson’s. For as long as possible, he continued to enjoy visiting the cabin, hiking, doing yardwork, watching Red Sox and Patriots games, and staying engaged with current events and politics. A gentle soul, Lance cared deeply about the world and always wanted to help others. His wry humor, jokes, and puns will be deeply missed. Lance was predeceased by his cherished canine companions Brody and Kirby; and by the Old Man of the Mountains of Franconia Notch, NH. We would like to thank Liz Tierney of Foster, RI, for her dedicated care and kindness toward Lance over the past few years. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m at Winfield & Sons Funeral Home, 571 West Greenville Road, Scituate, RI 02857. A celebration of Lance’s life will be held in New Hampshire in the summer of 2024. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Tributes

Lance M. Tibbetts

October 8, 2023