Gary “Skibby” Ribbens, age 65, a St Nazianz resident, passed away August 14, 2026, at St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Appleton, following complications from a medical procedure after years of dealing with heart issues.

Gary was born June 14, 1961, in Oshkosh and adopted by the late Chester and Caroline Ribbens. He attended Kiel High School and retired from Ameriquip in New Holstein on June 15, 2023.

Skibby lived life his way, with a Packers or Brewers game on the television, a dice box eagerly waiting to be shaken, and usually a few good friends nearby. He loved nothing more than getting together with people, sharing a laugh, listening to classic rock, and enjoying the local taverns and community events that became part of his second home.

Over the past 15 years, Skibby became a true local legend as the namesake and main attraction of the Annual Skibby Scramble Golf Outing, helping raise more than $150,000 for the St. Nazianz Fire Department.

He shared a particularly close bond with the Mueller family, including Ryan (Emily) Mueller, Matt (Ashley) Mueller, Eric “Meat” Mueller and his fiancée, Brenna Faber, and Kay (Dave Endries) Mueller Endries.

Skibby affectionately referred to Ryan, Matt, and Eric as “his boys,” and they returned that friendship with the kind of loyalty and brotherhood that went far beyond simply being friends. Kay became especially important in Skibby’s later years, helping look after him and making sure he kept up with his medical appointments and other needs. Skibby proudly called her “Ma,” while Kay jokingly referred to Skibby as “her 4th son.” It was a relationship that perfectly captured what Skibby had built throughout his life; a family not necessarily connected by blood, but by friendship, loyalty, and laughter.

Skibby leaves behind a niece, nephew, other relatives and a community of friends who will miss his humor, his stubbornness, and, of course, his ability to somehow turn an ordinary gathering into an event.

Gary may be gone, but “Skibby” will live on every time friends gather, and someone raises a glass or bumps knuckles in his honor.

A celebration of life for Skibby will take place Sunday September 6, 2026, from 1-3 PM at Meat’s Opera Haus in St Nazianz.

A memorial fund has been established in his name.