Hubert Thiboldeaux, Jr., affectionately known as Bert, passed away on February 16, 2021 at the age of 74. He was the loving and devoted husband of Joann Thiboldeaux (Kaelin) for the past 54 years.

In addition to his wife, Joann, he is survived by his faithful children: Mark Sr. (Julie), Kim, Kristina Newman (Thiboldeaux) (David), Matthew, and Andrew; his adoring grandchildren: Mark, Jr. (fiancée Nija Rivera), Kaelin, Paige, Adam, JoHannah Newman, Maura Kellander (Thiboldeaux) (David), Chloe, and Claire; his brothers Howard (Suzanne) and Richard (Maryann); a bevy of cousins, nieces and nephews; and a flock of friends from the many rich chapters of a well-lived life. He is pre-deceased by his parents and 5 siblings: Robert, Paul, Barbara, Louise and Wayne.

Bert was born in North Philadelphia on August 14, 1946, to Ruth Thiboldeaux (Braun) and Hubert Thiboldeaux, Sr. He attended Mastbaum high school, and went on to drive a Septa bus in Philly for nearly 30 years, during which time he brought joy, kindness, song, and laughter to thousands of riders. Bert truly never met a stranger.

However, Bert's profound love was always his family. He met Joann at the age of 16 at Emmanuel EUB church and the rest, as they say, was history. Theirs was a great love affair from the start, defined by selfless devotion to each other, commitment to faith and deep Christian values, a special appreciation for the little joys of life, and a recognition of the power of laughter and good humor – boy, did he have the best laugh!

He experienced profound joy in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren no matter how great or small – and in the accomplishments of everyone else's children and grandchildren, for that matter! He never missed a family birth, sporting event, recital, concert, birthday or graduation. He loved to celebrate!

He was an avid Philadelphia sports fan, and in addition to attending many Phillies games in Clearwater and Philly, he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he attended the Super Bowl in Minneapolis in 2018, and witnessed his beloved Eagles rise to victory. We came to realize that not all superheroes wear capes – some do wear Philly sports caps!

He loved fishing, road trips, sunsets, the beach, gardening, dancing, singing, and the purple mountains majesty of America – so much so, that he could not hear the national anthem without shedding a tear.

We are intensely saddened by our loss in a way that is difficult to express, but are comforted by the outpouring of support and love from friends and family – and the many wonderful stories you have been sharing with us over the past couple of weeks. We hope you will join us in the summer at a date yet-to-be-determined to celebrate Bert's life and to honor all of the lives he touched and inspired along the way.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bert's memory can be made to: Cancer Support Community, 734 15th Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, Cancer Support Community