Robert Wightman “Bob” Dibble Jr., 86, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2026, in Lexington, South Carolina.

Bob was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Robert Wightman Dibble and Saluda Reese Dibble, both natives of South Carolina. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1963 with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Banking and Finance. He went on to graduate cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1966, where he served as an editor of the South Carolina Law Review and was a member of the moot court team. Following law school, Bob clerked for the Honorable Clement F. Haynsworth Jr., Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, before beginning his legal career with Edens, Woodward & Butler in Columbia.

Bob enjoyed a distinguished legal career spanning more than five decades. Early in his practice, he developed extensive experience in complex real estate transactions and development, representing clients in significant matters on Hilton Head Island, at Point South, South Carolina, and on Amelia Island. He served as Managing Partner of the Hilton Head Inn Partnership, which purchased the Hilton Head Inn from Sea Pines Company in 1974, and represented Charles Fraser and the Sea Pines Company in real estate matters on Hilton Head Island and in Puerto Rico. He also served as trustee for the Wachovia Real Estate Investment Trust, overseeing substantial real estate holdings on Hilton Head Island.

In 1972, Bob became a partner with McNair, Kondourus & Corley. Following the firm’s merger with Glenn, Porter & Sullivan in 1979, he became a shareholder in what would eventually become McNair Law Firm. Over the years, his practice expanded beyond real estate to include litigation, ethics and professional responsibility. He held numerous leadership positions within the firm, including chair of its litigation section, chairman of the Columbia litigation section and member of the firm’s Managing Committee.

Bob’s service to the legal profession extended well beyond his own practice. He was a longtime member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference and served on the Advisory Committee on Local Rules for the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, including as vice-chair and chair. He also served the South Carolina Bar and South Carolina Supreme Court in numerous capacities involving judicial qualifications, ethics and professional conduct.

Among the professional honors of which he was especially proud was his election as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1997. He later served as Vice Chair and Chair of its State Committee and on national committees. Bob also received the Platinum Compleat Lawyer Award in 2001 and was selected multiple times for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.

Bob retired from McNair Law Firm in 2010 at the age of 70, but retirement did not mean leaving the law behind. In 2012, he became Of Counsel with Harrell and Martin, P.A., where he continued working in real estate litigation, title matters, probate disputes and ethics matters.

As accomplished as Bob was professionally, the greatest and most enduring part of his life was his family.

While attending the University of South Carolina, Bob met the love of his life, Nancye “Cissie” Britton. After a short courtship, they were married in Sumter, South Carolina, on August 13, 1966. Together they built a wonderful life in Columbia and later Prosperity, filled with family, friends and 60 years of memories. In August, Bob and Cissie celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, surrounded by the family and friends who had been such an important part of their life together.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Cissie; his daughter, Nancye Dibble Bailey (Scott); his son, Robert Wightman Dibble III; his grandchildren, Kennedy Bailey Druffel (Dalton), Anderson Elaine Dibble, Alexandra Lauren Dibble, and Simon Wightman Dibble (Brigett); and his great-granddaughter, Savannah Leigh Druffel. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Anne Boudin (Henry); nephews, Jonathan Boudin and Joshua Boudin; and a wide circle of friends and colleagues whose lives he touched throughout the years.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Prosperity, South Carolina, at 1:00 pm on Monday, September 21, 2026, followed by burial at Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia on at 3:00 pm. The family will receive friends before the church service beginning at 12:00 Noon and again following the burial.

Memorials may be made to the Grace Lutheran Church Building Fund, PO Box 188, Prosperity, South Carolina 29127 or to a charity of one’s choice.

Bob leaves behind an extraordinary professional legacy, but to those who knew and loved him best, his greatest legacy will be the life he built with Cissie, the family they created together, and the many friendships he nurtured throughout his 86 years.