Alan L. Rybolt, of Warroad, Minnesota, originally of Ottawa, Kansas, passed away on January 1, 2025, at the age of 79.
In December 2024, Alan and Linda were scheduled to travel to Enid, Oklahoma, for a later Christmas with family and to await the arrival of a new granddaughter, who was due on January 17th, 2025. As it turned out, their journey together ended in Grand Forks, North Dakota. On December 30, 2024, Alan unexpectedly suffered a medical emergency and was taken to Altru Hospital for care. Sons Rusty and Rocky were both in Enid, Oklahoma, at the time. They, along with Rusty’s two sons, left Enid almost immediately to travel to Grand Forks. It was a 13 hour drive one way, but they arrived in time to see their dad. Alan passed away later that same evening, on January 1, 2025, never to meet the new baby granddaughter he was so desperate to meet. Linda and the boys left the next day to return to the rest of the family via another 13 hour day of travel. Linda did not return home until the middle of February.
Alan Lewis Rybolt was the second-born son of Harry David Rybolt and Alice Lucille (Blake) Rybolt. He was born on March 23, 1945, at Ransom Memorial Hospital in Ottawa, Kansas. He liked to tease people by telling them that his mother was born on March 16th, his parents were married on March 20th and he was born on March 23rd, all happening within just days.
Alan attended Lincoln Elementary School, Ottawa Junior High School and Ottawa Senior High School, all in Ottawa, KS, graduating from high school in 1963. During his school years, he participated in various sports, mainly football and track, and several plays, including Oklahoma and Mister Roberts, where he had the title role.
In the fall of 1963, Alan entered Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas, to pursue a degree in education, hoping to shape young minds and make a difference in their lives. While at KU, Alan sang with the KU choir and he graduated in 1968 with a degree in physical education. Over the next few years he added credentials in biology, health and human anatomy as well as sports medicine. He also attended Emporia State Teachers College and Bemidji State College in order to expand his knowledge of the sciences for his students.
On January 28, 1968, he married Linda Kimball at the First United Methodist Church in Ottawa, and shortly thereafter he started student teaching at Shawnee Heights Junior High School in Topeka. During this time, he worked for Jostens while checking out schools for available teaching positions. He started the fall of 1968 teaching junior high school science classes and coaching football at Burlington, Kansas.
As fate would have it, in June of 1970 there was a trip to go fishing north of Bemidji, as had been the vacation plans for his family since 1957, and he became aware of a teaching position open in Warroad, Minnesota. So, during his vacation that year, he drove up for an interview with Mr. Blackorby and returned with a new job in Minnesota. Alan and Linda moved to Warroad on August 3, 1970, beginning his dream to live in Minnesota and starting an adventure which has lasted almost 57 years.
During Alan’s tenure at Warroad, his first contract required that he coach football with Tony Stukel, basketball with Rich Schmitz, and track and field. He was involved with coaching football until he retired and continued coaching track until 2014. He retired on June 1, 2003, after having taught biology, advanced biology, human anatomy and advanced human anatomy. He was proud of the many excellent students who chose to continue their education in the fields of science and medicine.
Alan and Linda had three children: daughter Janny Rybolt, who was one of the last babies born at the Warroad Hospital; son Rusty (Ann Koehler) Rybolt and their children Jack Alan, Roy Augustine, and Miriam Rose Rybolt of Faribault, MN; and son Rocky (Li Meirong) Rybolt, and their children Ella Mei and Amelia Jean Rybolt of Enid, OK. Alan is also survived by his siblings Harry David (Barbara) Rybolt, Jr., Overland Park, KS and Barbara Lynn (John Thomas) Hickman, Ottawa, KS, and Aunt Mary Alice Hintz, Ottawa, KS.
Additional survivors are his nieces and nephews Shanda Gilfert, Leavenworth, KS, Kimberly (Lee) Gregg, Ottawa, KS, Christina (Greg) Acosta, Roeland Park, KS, Jennifer (Tim) Frenzel, Kansas City, MO; family in-laws Sandy (Eldon) McCurdy, Ottawa, KS, and Cassie, Eric and Jeff, Lorna Kimball Jacobson, Bemidji, MN, and Terry, Tim and Tammy, Denny (Debbie) Kimball, Princeton, KS, and Sevy, Tassie and JR, Jon (Brenda) Kimball, Pomona, MO, and Dustin, Misty and Kristy, and Jana (Kent) Cramer, Ozawkie, KS, and Andy and Cannon.
Alan was preceded in death on July 21, 2014, by his only daughter who was very special to him (Janny Rybolt) and his parents Harry and Alice Rybolt, as well as father-in-law Harold Kimball and mother-in-law Betty Kimball.
A Celebration of Life for Alan L. Rybolt will be held on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the Warroad Middle/Elementary School gymnasium at 11:00 a.m.
Last modified: 07/01/2025
