Ed Sibbald's journey to Statesboro pretty much defines what an incredible man he was. His son-in-law, Dr. Joe Ruhland, traveled to Statesboro to interview for a job in GS's now Parker College of Business. During his interview, they mentioned that they were looking for a BB&T (now Truist) Distinguished Chair in Banking. Dr. Ruhland pitched his father-in-law, Ed, who was an expert in the banking industry, for the position.
Ed loved to joke that when they learned he was part of the deal, hiring Dr. Ruhland was a no brainer. For any son-in-law to recommend his father-in-law for a position during his interview speaks volumes to how dynamic Ed was. Of course, those who know both Dr. Ruhland and Ed would agree recruiting this duo to GS was a huge win for the University and our community.
Ed unfortunately died way too soon after complications from heart surgery on May 25, 2023, at the age of 74. The family has planned a celebration of life for him on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at 2:00 PM at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro.
Go-to banking and economic expert for media
I first became acquainted with Ed as a frequent expert through local media. Ed was often interviewed by local, regional and statewide media. He was the go-to expert on any issues involving the banking industry, especially community banks, and the economy. Ed was a regular guest on a popular morning show that aired over a decade ago, hosted by now Councilman Phil Boyum.
Then as I was Business Editor for the Statesboro Herald for nearly a decade, Ed was on my speed dial. What fascinated me most about him was his ability to break down complex financial issues into soundbites a five year old could understand. Of course, there was always a dose of "Yankee humor" mixed in.
CORE Credit Union Consultant
I developed a personal relationship with Ed and his wife Maria and his daughter Kristen and son-in-law Joe when I joined CORE Credit Union's Advisory Board. My last dinner with Ed and Maria was in Jekyll Island last year. He shared comical stories of his career and lucky real estate investments as we melted a few ice cubes and enjoyed pecan pie. He seemed to have a knack for finding incredible real estate deals and interesting neighbors.
The highlight of my year was Ed's presentations at our leadership retreats for CORE. In a few hours, he would break down the complexities of the U.S. Economy and drill down to how it would impact our community and region. Then he would tell us where we were heading over the next few months with remarkable insight and accuracy.
Mentor and friend
When I was kicking around the idea for Grice Connect, Ed was one of my first calls. Every time we would talk, I would plead with him to write a finance column for me. He would always tell me that he would consider it. That was the Yankee equivalent to a Southerner telling you, "Let's pray about it."
If you are not familiar with Ed and his extraordinary success in the banking world and later in the classroom, you can read all about that here in Ed's obituary.
Ed, Jr. and Kristen's memories
Ed's son Ed, Jr., and daughter Kristen were kind to share some of their most special memories about their dad.
Ed was forever a New York Yankees baseball fan and began collecting baseball cards as a child. Over his lifetime, his collection topped hundreds of thousands of them. Ed's original baseball collection was thrown away after he moved out of his parents' home. When Ed, Jr., began playing little league, his interest was renewed.
In the 90s, Ed’s family opened, sorted, hunted down missing cards, and eventually completed many full sets of baseball cards from multiple brands. Their eventual collection spanned multiple years from contemporary players going back to Ed’s original childhood collections. Even Ed’s mother-in-law Gilda helped out by sorting the cards in numerical order.
In 1990, at a baseball convention, he met his childhood hero, Mickey Mantle.
Living in Georgia, he learned to love the Braves. In 2021, Kristen's family took him to a World Series game which allowed him to fulfill a lifelong dream.
Ed loved to travel. His last overseas excursion was a trip with his wife to London and nearby spots in England in 2018, where he especially enjoyed visiting Windsor where Queen Elizabeth lived and walking around the parks near Buckingham Palace. Ed, Jr., then joined them in Paris to explore the "City of Light," including a stop outside the original Moulin Rouge in Montmartre and time spent walking around the gardens and palace of Versailles.
Ed was a jokester, and he loved his family, especially his grand kids.
He loved to embarrass his kids growing up and even as adults, often breaking into song and dance in public or on other occasions. He also loved to give them animatronic gifts that would sing and dance at every occasion just to keep them smiling and giggling even as adults.
He loved his grandchildren immensely and would try to find out what sort of things they enjoyed so he could share in them, whether it was watching Battlebots, going to gymnastics or cheer competitions for Maddie, watching them play Super Mario Brothers, or playing with toys and LEGOs. He would get on the floor and jump in to play with them.
Ed succeeded in every way in life, both personally and professionally. His family will never fully know the impact he had on so many.
As for me, tonight I will melt a few ice cubes in honor of my mentor and friend, knowing my business is more successful and my life is richer because I had Ed helping guide the way.