My most sincere condolences to Richie's family and friends. I have worked alongside Richie for several years - first as a librarian and then as a thought partner and advocate as a district supervisor. 
Richie always made me feel like family - in fact, we often spoke about Canada, as his wife and I share the same roots. Richie was a big cheerleader when I moved into my new role - he made me feel like my knowledge and insights were valuable to the field, and his words always gave me the confidence I needed to make decisions and help others. We spent a handful of ODCs together in the trenches - he was never afraid of rolling up his sleeves and getting to work alongside the temp crew and librarians. 
I felt like Richie and I had a special connection, even after he began covering another territory, but I quickly realized that he made every one of us feel this way. He will be so missed, and I want his family and loved ones to know the enormous impact he has had on our state's school librarians.

My deepest condolences to Richie’s family.  I was blessed to work with him for many years at Follett, then remained friends even though we were competitors in our industry. Often we were side by side at conferences, discussing the Cardinals and how they were doing at any given time. An upstanding gentleman always.  I’ll certainly miss him.
God bless.
Laura Hammerschmidt

I am so sorry to hear about Richie.   I worked with him for many years here at Follett.

Richie and I worked mostly on his new school deliveries during the summer months.   But he did reach out to me as needed.

Regardless of what the issue was with the delivery, he treated me with fairness and kindness.

I am deeply saddened to find out about Richie. He was one of the nicest men I have ever known. He helped me from day one as a MCS librarian until I retired from MSCS. Richie always went out of his way to ensure that my kids got their books; he was a life saver more than once. I especially enjoyed seeing him as we were both huge baseball fans & could talk St. Louis Cardinals all day. He will be missed by all. My condolences to all his beloved family and friends.

I had the privilege of working with Richie through Follett and will always be grateful for his kindness and support. As I was learning and growing in my role at Ross Elementary, he was always willing to help and share his knowledge. His guidance made a lasting impact on me and my library program.

It was truly an honor to work with him over the years. He will be greatly missed, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

With deepest sympathy,

Valeasia Gary-Cady
 Librarian, Ross Elementary

Katie, I am so saddened to hear about your dad.  Richie was such a kind man, and I always looked forward to his school visits.  He talked about you and your mom in such a sweet way.  I am so grateful that I was able to work closely with him and YOU this past spring in the new Covington libraries.  In just that few days, I could tell how proud of you he was and how much joy you brought to his world.  I am so glad that I got to meet you and get to know you and Richie both a little better during that time.  Your dad was a gem, and I know he will live on in your hearts forever.   Please know that I am sending lots of love and light to you and your mama in the days ahead.  
Ashley Waits
Covington High School Librarian

Dear Gibson family,
I have known Richie over my 23 years at Follett. At first, he was someone I met from year to year at our annual sales meetings and understood that he was someone who meant a lot to his customers and coworkers. Then last year I was fortunate to be part of the newly formed Mid Atlantic group and got to know Richie as a kind, generous and knowledgeable colleague. He inspired me to be a better salesperson, but more importantly, he inspired me to be a better person. My deepest condolences. I will never forget him.
Tom Roche

I worked with Richie through Follett. He was always so helpful to me when I needed help with my library collection. He was a valued resource for me. I am so very sorry for your loss. It was my esteemed pleasure to work with him every year for as long as I can remember.

I had the privilege of working closely with Richie on my team for the last two years. As a new leader with the company, I could not have asked for a kinder or more encouraging person by my side. He believed in me and helped instill the confidence I needed to grow into my new role.

Richie quickly became my right hand and my go-to person for any thought, idea, or question I had. He was the greatest mentor, not only to me, but to so many others. I sent every new hire his way with the same message: “If you can do half of what Richie does, you will be very successful here.” He simply set the standard that high.

Every Friday morning, Richie and I would talk over coffee in what I fondly referred to as our “coffee talks,” and I looked forward to them every week. We would share stories about our families and what we were looking forward to that weekend. I loved getting a glimpse into his beautiful family through those conversations because he absolutely lit up when he spoke about them.

As I navigated the trials of having young children at home, Richie would remind me, “I remember those days. You’ll miss this,” and he was always ready with a little marriage advice too, including one of my favorites: “Just don’t go on a road trip longer than about eight hours.” He had a way of making me laugh and putting things into perspective, but he also knew when I was having a hard week. He always seemed to know exactly what to say, and I will carry so many of those words with me forever.

One of the greatest highlights of my career was celebrating Richie on stage at our national sales meeting this year and recognizing him for all of his hard work and accomplishments. At the time, I knew how proud I was of him, but I could never have imagined how much that moment would come to mean to me. Having the chance to publicly recognize someone who had given so much to me, our team, and this company will forever be one of the greatest honors of my career. 

God bless the Gibson family.

Devastating news... I worked with Richie for the last 20 years and every time i spoke with him, we just picked up from our last conversation, usually spending the first few minutes talking about our families and talking sports, that when I hung up, I always had such a positive feeling, he had that effect on people. I will miss his laugh, his calmness, and friendly demeanor at all times., especially when  I picked up the phone and heard, "Hey Tom, It's Richie Gibson...", I will certainly miss that! RIP buddy, you will be missed, and are in my thought and prayers.

This picture was taken at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians conference in Murfreesboro, TN. This is him at his best. We would talk, yes, about books, but we always talked about the current MLB season (his Cardinals and my Giants). We greatly enjoyed catching up. I do remember him saying his daughter is a teacher in Mississippi, I believe?

To Richie's family,
  I want to extend my deepest sympathy to your family at this difficult time. He was a great guy to work with, and he truly cared about working with public school libraries. He will be missed a great deal by those who knew him both personally and professionally. 

Sincerely yours,
Leigh Ann Gunnells
Haywood Elementary Library
Brownsville, TN 38012

Richie has been my rep for over 20+ and 5 schools.  We talked all the time about our girls.  They were both born in the same year, and both went to Mississippi State.  Sending prayers to you all!  I will miss our talks.

I was very sorry to hear of Richie's passing. While I was in Trenton as an exchange student in 1984-85, he was one of the students who kindly showed me the ropes and became a very good friend. My thoughts go to his family and close friends.

My heart is saddened by the passing of Richie Gibson. I will always be grateful for the kindness and support he showed me while assisting with my library at L.E.S. His help meant so much to me, and I will never forget it.

Praying that God gives his family and loved ones comfort, strength, and peace during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Richie. You will be truly missed. 🙏🏽🕊️

I was fortunate to work with Richie over the last 17 years. As a librarian, I knew Richie was going to take care of whatever we needed. We always had a laugh when we talked and he had solutions for everything. There was never anything he couldn't help me tackle. I am so deeply sorry for your loss. He will be immensely missed.

As an elementary librarian, Richie was the only person I would order from. He was such a sweet, caring man who truly took care of his librarians, and because of that, he quickly earned my loyalty. I will greatly miss his infectious smile and the wonderful energy he brought with him each year when he visited my library. His visits were always something I looked forward to.

I send my most heartfelt condolences to Richie’s family, friends, and all those who were fortunate enough to know and love him. He will truly be missed.

Richie was the absolute best vendor contact I had for our elementary library. He would always bring a little baggie of candy for me and bookmarks for the kids. I will surely miss his sweet smile and kind words. So sorry for your lose. Richie was a treasure.

Learning of Ritchie's unexpected passing sent a jolt of shock through me. Over the years I had the opportunity to receive his stellar customer service and his ever-present positive demeanor whenever we spoke onver the phone. Though I was just a client, I am saddened for such an unexpected loss.

I had the pleasure of working alongside Richie for the last few years. I was his dedicated support representative, and he always shared his successes as ours, humbly exclaiming with a laugh, “You make me look good.” He had an uncanny ability to connect with people in a deep and meaningful way, which was evident in the relationships he built and maintained both professionally and personally.

I left my career with Follett Content this past spring to be home with my children, specifically my youngest, who has special needs. Richie was so encouraging and supportive of my decision. I told him that leaving him and our partnership made the decision that much more difficult. He truly was one of a kind.

Richie often spoke of his wife, Carlie, and his daughter, Katie. It was clear that they were the loves and light of his life. I pray that they continue to feel his unwavering love and the warmth of his light each and every day.

Richie, thank you for your support and camaraderie these last few years. I will miss you and will always cherish the many conversations we shared.

I'm so sorry for your loss.  As a librarian, (that uses Follett) I had several opportunities to  work with Richie. He was so knowledgeable and kind, always willing to take the time to explain anything with Follett that eluded me. We connected with a mutual appreciation of Apple products. I will be keeping your family in my prayers as you navigate this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Jodi Dildy

I’m so sorry for your loss. Richie was such a kind and wonderful person, and I feel very grateful to have known him and had the opportunity to work with him for over 20 years.

As a librarian, I always appreciated Richie’s genuine love of books and the joy he brought to helping us find just the right books for our students. He was more than a vendor—he became a familiar and valued part of our library community.

Please know that Richie will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. My heart goes out to all of you, and I hope the many happy memories you shared with him bring you comfort during this difficult time.

Richie was an absolute gem - the best of humanity. I feel so lucky to have worked with him, especially over the past few years when we were on the same team. I learned so much from him. He brought a wealth of knowledge with his long tenure at Follett and he was happy to share it with his team. He was thoughtful and brilliant as he eagerly sought to evolve with technology and library trends. I will always think of him as a Salesforce report wizard.

Above all, he was so kind and absolutely hilarious. I was always laugh-crying on the phone with him. I hope to never forget his voice every time he would say "ya know Katie, I was thinking the same thing" and would follow with a long chuckle.  

He spoke with so much love for Carlie and Katie.  He was so excited to share Katie's wedding plans and pictures.

I enjoyed learning about his excellent taste in music and his love of Peloton that he shared with many of us. I will always remember the care that he showed for all members of our team and our own families.

I am so sorry for your tremendous loss, Gibson family. 

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Dear Family, 
It was with great privilege that I worked with Richie for all of the years of my 32 as a librarian  in Henderson County.  He always had a smile on his face. I came to know him as a friend as our children grew and met many milestones along the way.  My prayers are with you all.
Brandy McDaniel
Librarian, Bargerton Elementary School Lexington TN

My sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Richie Gibson. He was always a kind and warm presence, and I feel honored to have worked with him in the short 5 years I have been a Memphis Shelby County Schools Librarian. My thoughts go out to you all in this time of his passing. Thank you, Mr. Richie, for all your support over the years! You will be sorely missed!

Richie was a peer/colleague for over 20 years at Follett.  Several months ago Richie was moved to my team, I was so excited to work closer and learn from him.  He was a great listener and he genuinely cared about the person across the table or on the other end of the phone.  Richie was a man of great character, great impact and a great sense of humor.  We will miss him dearly.   My thoughts and prayers for Carlie, Katie and family that he cared so much for.

I didn’t know Richie for a long time, but he made a huge impact very quickly! When I was hired at Follett last summer Richie was my mentor and I got to ride with him to appointments all around Memphis. He was the definition of kindness and couldn't have been any cooler, calmer, or more collected. During those three days I learned so much from him- in many ways he confirmed that I had chosen the right path working with librarians and books. I could tell how much he wanted me to be successful and couldn’t have been more generous with his time and knowledge. Richie was a huge baseball fan just like me. While on this trip we went to a Redbirds game. There was a rain delay, so we had plenty of time to walk around the park exchanging baseball stories and our mutual affinity for the Seinfeld show and comedy. Those chats and stories will be memories I’ll never forget. I will miss him greatly but his impact on me will carry on. Sincere condolences to his family and friends, you are all in my thoughts.

I am truly grateful to have known such a kind and caring person. Richie supported and helped me from my very first year as a librarian, many years ago, and continued to do so throughout the years. I will always remember the care and time Richie took to make sure my students had the resources they wanted and needed in our library. He was always thoughtful enough to ask about my family, and through conversations, I learned that his daughter and mine had both attended the same college. May Richie rest in peace. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Richie was truly an exceptional person and always so full of joy.  Richie was always smiling and could certainly turn a room around with him just walking in and smiling. You will be greatly missed. It was an absolute pleasure working with you and getting to know you through the years.

I worked with Richie for almost 25 years, and have always appreciated his professionalism, kindness and sense of humor. He was always willing to help out, whether it was hauling boxes of new books up the stairs to a library on the second floor, or sitting down with a new librarian to help create a last minute book order. We had great discussions about football (even though he was a Steeler fan), and still laughed years later about the time we had to call the fire department to get him out of a stuck elevator one summer. He was a great guy, and will be missed!

Working with Richie was always a pleasure, he was actually one of my favorites.  I am saddened to hear of his passing. Sending warmth and love to his family on their loss.

I had the pleasure of working on Richie’s team at Follett Content. He was an excellent collaborator,  a professional, and a gentleman. 
Richie was also very kind, funny, and quick to share his love of music with all of us. He talked about his lovely family with love and pride.
He will be missed and always talked about with admiration and respect.

Richie,
Thank you for teaching me to take things with a grain of salt and always smile. You made an impact in my life and I am thankful I got the five years we were colleagues.

 I will miss our talks about SEC football and your Grizzlies. Rest in the arms of the lord my friend.

God bless you and your family.

The Boronat Family

OBITUARY

Richie Lyn Gibson

April 11, 1967 – September 7, 2026

Memphis Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens

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