Timothy O’Grady Ribley of Charlotte, North Carolina found peaceful rest on December 6, 2023, following a long battle with illness.

Tim was a brilliant, hilarious, charming, talented, and complicated man beloved by many. Born on December 5, 1953, in Rochester, New York, Tim was the eldest son of Joseph and Kathleen Ribley. He attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and was a member of the Debate and Oratory team. At the age of eighteen, Tim enlisted in the United States Coast Guard during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged after serving four years, including over a year of foreign/sea service.

Tim then settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where he studied drama and English literature at the University of Massachusetts, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While out in Harvard Square one night, Tim met the woman who would become his wife; they married in 1984. Tim graduated cum laude from the New England School of Law in 1987, where he was recognized for superior academic achievement and went on to have a career in personal injury law.

Tim and his wife later moved to Leominster, Massachusetts, where they raised their only child, Rebecca Rose, born in 1991. Tim adored and doted upon his daughter, instilling in her a love of reading, action movies, Steely Dan, and the Red Sox, and also inspired Rebecca to pursue her own career in law.

After a divorce in 2006, Tim adventured up and down the East coast, working in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia, eventually settling in Charlotte where he made a home for himself and many wonderful, caring, and loyal friends. Tim’s one-of-a-kind, rebellious spirit will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, blast the Grateful Dead, think for yourself, have a toke or a drink, and spoil your loved ones (and yourself). Whatever you do, make sure you have yourself a good time. For his final voyage, Tim wished for his ashes to be scattered into the sea, so if you are ever looking for him just head to the coast. 

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