For 73 years many Kirkland residents associated good health with the name Dr. McKibben. For that reason, the Kirkland Heritage Society, along with various community leaders, honored Dr. Ernest C. McKibben, Jr. Sunday.

“I am getting to meet a lot of people that know me but I just don’t remember them,” said Dr. McKibben, who is 89. “It brings back a lot of memories, but it also makes me realize I have big holes in my memory.”

One of the reasons that McKibben may not remember everyone is the number of people he has had an impact on.

“He worked in Kirkland for 30-something years as a family practitioner,” said his daughter Margaret Collette. “He saw post (World War II) development of Kirkland and he saw Bellevue take off.”

One of McKibben’s biggest impacts was the thousands of babies that he delivered, first at the old Kirkland Hospital, now the site of the Heathman Hotel in downtown, and then later at Evergreen Hospital. Some of those babies, now with grandchildren, showed up Sunday to honor the former doctor. Both McKibben and his late father (also McKibben) were instrumental in the creation of the old Kirkland Hospital, where McKibben, Jr. delivered the first and last baby. McKibben was also involved in the planning of Evergreen Hospital and was the first Chief of Staff, serving two terms.

Attendees that had been delivered by one of the McKibben doctors signed a photo of the old Kirkland Hospital.

Many former patients were in attendance along with members of McKibben’s family.

The event brought out community leaders such as Rep. Larry Springer, Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, Deputy Mayor Penny Sweet and Evergeen Hospital Commissioner Dr. Charles Pilcher. Kirkland Rotary member Rick Ostrander spoke on behalf of the organization, which McKibben was a big part. He was also heavily involved in the Seattle Mountaineers and the Boy Scouts. McKibben even found time to build a boat that he frequently sailed on Lake Washington.

McKibben was born in his family’s home on State Street on Sept. 5, 1920.

He said that there was never a doubt that he would become a doctor like his father.

“That idea was placed when I was a little squirt,” said McKibben. “People would say, ‘you look just like your father. Are you going to be a doctor?’ And of course I would say ‘uh huh.'”

McKibben was among the first class to go through Kirkland Junior and Senior High School. He went on to graduate from Washington State University and then the George Washington University medical school in 1945. At the end of the war, McKibben his late wife Ardis and their five children settled in Kirkland.

He overlapped with his father, practicing medicine in Kirkland during a 15 year time period. McKibben currently lives in Redmond.

The event, which was organized by Sandra Ekins, Alice Stoops and Patty Tucker of the Kirkland Heritage Society, came 56 years after McKibben, Sr. was honored for his work in Kirkland during a similar ceremony.

Kirkland Heritage Society volunteer Loita Hawkinson said that the honor is the first of its kind from the organization, but that it will become an annual thing.

“Next year we are going to honor World War II veterans,” said Hawkinson.