Gary Niebur

Gary D. Niebur, 64, peacefully passed away at 12:40 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2020, at his home. He was born on September 13, 1955, in Wood River, Illinois, the son of Melvin and Edna (Huelsman) Niebur. He married Debra Werden on July 15, 1983, at St. Boniface Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, and she survives. He is also survived by daughters Ashley (Josh) Sharp, Amanda Niebur and Abby Niebur; son Andrew Niebur; grandchildren Blair and Brady Sharp; brother Randy (Jo) Niebur; sister Jan (Mark) Muckensturm; sister Gail (Roy) Eagle; brother Mark Niebur; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. Gary was preceded in death by his father, Melvin Niebur. Gary frequently shared fond memories of growing up on Dunlap lake, where he and his siblings enjoyed a childhood of fishing, swimming and outdoor activity. Gary grew to love the game of baseball and lifelong friendships stemmed from his many summers spent playing Little League and Legion Post 199 baseball. He loved to recount the story of his homerun hit that made its way all the way from the ball field to the Leclaire water tower. As a teenager, Gary began his career with the City of Edwardsville by doing lawn maintenance for the Parks and Recreation Department and took pride in his office underneath the Leclaire bandstand. His dedication to the City only grew from there, and in 1985 he was elected to the city council, where he spent 8 years as alderman. In 1993, Gary began his first term of Mayor of the City of Edwardsville, a position he held for 20 years. In 1982, Gary began his career as Chief Executive Officer of the Edwardsville YMCA. He established the YMCA financial assistance scholarship program to ensure that every resident could participate in YMCA programming, regardless of their ability to pay. Under his leadership, the organization grew steadily in membership, expanded to three locations and achieved record levels of private donations to fund capital improvements by the time of his retirement in 2018. 

Gary was active in multiple organizations including the Edwardsville Rotary Club, Illinois Municipal League, Anderson Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Greater Edwardsville Area Foundation, First Cloverleaf Bank Board of Directors and Metro East Park and Recreation District, among others. Over the years, Gary was the recipient of numerous community service awards and accolades, including: Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the State of Illinois; Rotary Club International Paul Harris Fellowship Award; the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award; SIUE Religious Center Interfaith Award; and the Edwardsville Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. Upon his retirement, the Edwardsville YMCA Board of Directors named the ESIC facility the Niebur Center in his honor.

Through his time with the city and the YMCA, Gary cultivated countless friendships that lasted a lifetime, and he truly cherished each and every one of them, keeping in regular contact with friends from all walks of life. Gary loved last minute road trips with anyone that would ride along, most frequently visiting Lake of the Ozarks and Miramar Beach, Florida. He often bragged about the peak of his golf career, winning the 1995 Sunset Hills Member Guest Championship with his dear friend Gordon Broom. Anyone that had the pleasure of being seated next to Gary at a social gathering was guaranteed to have an entertaining evening of laughter and story telling. Most of all, Gary loved to bring people together and put a smile on the faces of all those around him. Private family services will be held at Weber Rodney Funeral Home. Gary will be buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Edwardsville YMCA. A public celebration of Gary’s life will be held at a later date.

Obit Provided By:
Weber & Rodney Funeral Home