Tim Ribbens

Tim Ribbens, 61, of Sioux Center, IA died peacefully surrounded by his family, Sunday, September 23, 2012, at the Heart Hospital of South Dakota in Sioux Falls. A visitation will be held on Friday at Faith Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center from 4-8PM, with the family present from 5:30-7:30PM. A prayer service for family and friends will be Saturday at 9:45AM at the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Bernie Haan officiating. Interment will follow the prayer service in Memory Gardens Cemetery of Sioux Center. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11AM at Faith Christian Reformed Church of Sioux Center with Rev. Robert Drenten officiating. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the Ribbens family prefers memorial donations to the Sioux Center Community Library Beautification Project in Tim's memory. Arrangements entrusted to the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center. Timothy Grant Ribbens was born October 13, 1950 in Pipestone, Minnesota to Ted and Lois Ribbens. He married his high school sweetheart, Marilynn Van Kley, on June 6, 1970 at Bethel CRC in Sioux Center. He was then drafted to the army and served his country from 1970-1972. After returning from his service, he completed his education in pharmacy at the University of Iowa where his loyalty to the Hawkeyes fully took root. Tim loved his wife and enjoyed his frequent golf outings with her. He taught his children the importance of doing your best unto the Lord in all things. He was a gentle man and connected with his grandchildren from their infancy. Grandpa do whatever activity the grandchild wanted; this included watching favorite movies, reading books, playing toys, playing hangman or just walking with them. Tim faithfully fulfilled his vocational call in serving his community as a pharmacist for over 30 years. His Christ-like love and commitment for his fellow man ensured that each received the needed medications, even outside of normal work hours. He was known to be a friendly conversationalist seasoned with a dry sense of humor. Tim was very content with what God provided and enjoyed life with a smile on his face. He held a life-long love for Jesus Christ and was a member at Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center at the time of his death. Tim enjoyed traveling to see God's wonderful creation with a fondness of the grand mountains of the West. A strong cup of coffee, which somehow was purer in his Hawkeye mug, was often in hand. He loved tootling around the yard and always took pride in keeping pristine landscape and trees surrounding his house. He also loved strolling through the neighborhood with his loyal dogs. During his spare time he enjoyed golfing with his wife and family. He even played 27 holes of golf the day prior to becoming ill. Tim was well known by the Sioux Center Library staff because of his devoted reading habits. He would often read at home with his dogs on his lap or by his feet. If you needed to know a trivial fact, Tim would often be able to pop the answer. Tim is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Marilynn; his four boys with their wives and children: Terry & Julie (Vander Stelt) - Trenton, Katie, and Micah of Boise, ID, Eric & Stacy (Raman) - Jenna, Sadie, and Owen of Hull, IA, Michael & Megan (Bosma) Ribbens - Amira, Nico, and Stella of Abuja, Nigeria, Bradley & Ashley (Beaman) - Kaylee of St. Louis, MO; his father, Ted of Sioux Center; his brothers with their wives, Larry & Paula (Visser) of Orange City and Don & Linda (Rath) of Sutton, NE; his sisters with their husbands, Ken & Barb Addink of Sioux Center and Phil & Sherry Brummel of Hull as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lois (Kooima); his grandparents, Theunis & Gertrude Ribbens and Tim & Gertrude Kooima.