Celebration of Life for Dr. Glen Tibbits
Please join us for the ceremony celebrating Glen’s life
on January 24, 2026, from 1PM to 4PM,
at the Leslie & Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium,
Simon Fraser University - Burnaby Campus.
Doors open at noon and the Ceremony starts promptly at 1:00PM.
The ceremony will also be live-streamed. 
If you plan to attend either in person or remotely,
please RSVP with this Google Form here.
Please Note: The auditorium's capacity is 420 people and your RSVP will assist us with possible overflow planning.
Event Details:
Donation to Glen Tibbits Memorial Fund
An endowment fund is being created to honor Glen's passion for mentoring Graduate Students
Venue
BPK Department Tribute to Glen Tibbits
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Glen Tibbits on Monday, November 10, 2025. Glen was a Distinguished Professor at SFU with joint appointments in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK), and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. He was also Co-Director of the Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where his research lab was located, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Biomedical Engineering, and the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences. He served as Department Chair in BPK between 2011-2016, leading efforts to recruit new faculty, and further establish BPK as a leader in research and teaching.
Obituary
Dr. Glen Tibbits, of Port Moody, BC, passed away at age 76 on November 10, 2025, after a courageous three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He had a keen wit, wonderfully generous spirit, brilliant mind, and deep passion for science. Glen was a Distinguished Professor at Simon Fraser University, holding joint appointments in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, and in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. He was an Affiliate Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences. Glen also spearheaded the development of, and was Co-Director of, the state-of-the-art Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Vancouver. He is survived by his wife Kiyoko Tibbits, son Skye Tibbits, extended family member Haruyo Kashihara, and brother John Tibbits.
Memories & Stories
If you have a memory or story about Glen to share below, please send it to Haruyo kashihar@sfu.ca, who will review the postings for any inappropriate content and then upload them to the website. If you wish, you may attach a photo with your memory or story.
I had known Dr Tibbits for about 25 years when I took Kin 305. He was this professor who would enter the lecture hall without his notes and write everything on the chalkboard like he memorized every word from the textbook. He knew his molecular cardiology like it was the back of his hands. I remember that he used to make jokes during lectures with a straight face when everyone was laughing at his jokes and I would be staring at the board with a blank face and then looking at the person next to me and asking "what just happened". I was just an average student who was lost and needed directions in life and career paths. Glen and I became close friends, and I had been calling him "My White Dad" for many years. We stayed in touch often after I graduated from SFU in 2000.
He was a mentor who gave very straightforward advice bluntly but in a paternal or humourous way whether it was about family, health issues, relationship advice, questions about the course, or career paths. I remember that he was making fun of his Afib and being on dronedarone and when he was telling me his cardioversion stories. I struggled with good grades in school but he never treated me any differently than his stellar students. With his encouragement, I eventually entered medicine and became a physician in the US. I came back to visit him at his SFU office during my residency training and he gave me a 1:1 lecture on his current cardiology research. There was so much passion about his work, it was extremely inspiring. I went on further in my training and became a cardiologist. Then I remember telling him now my part of the story, and jokingly I mentioned, the other night I was shocking a patient multiple times to get him out of VT and I thought of you and your Afib story. We both laughed.
The last time I met up with Glen was about 3 years ago at a restaurant and he gave me the most important life advice that I should come back to be close to family. I still remember that he told me "Clara, it's time to move back closer to your family. Go home and seriously think about it!" I'll never forget his wise words. 7 months ago I finally moved to the Washing States to be close to my family. I kept in touch but he never once mentioned that he was ill. I was messaging him about how chaotic things were but then I was oblivious about what he was going through. He asked if I was happy. He only mentioned that he was still working in the lab. I only just found out after I messaged him again a couple of weeks ago thinking that I would visit him this Christmas but never received a reply.
Glen Tibbits was a larger-than-life character. He was an excellent professor in every sense: an incredible scientist, an amazing teacher, and a wonderful mentor and colleague. He was gregarious and fun-loving. He took great joy in hosting barbecues and regular excursions of his lab to Thai restaurants. He had a sharp wit and wicked sense of humour, but was also generous and caring to students, colleagues, and friends. Growing up in Montreal, he developed what became a life-long passion for playing hockey.
BPK