EMMETSBURG — During his long tenure in the Iowa state Capitol, Jack Kibbie earned a reputation as a lawmaker willing to work with anyone to get things done.

Kibbie, a Democrat from Emmetsburg widely regarded as the architect of Iowa’s community college system, is being fondly remembered by both Democrats and Republicans in the wake of his Tuesday death at age 95.

Former state Sen. Daryl Beall, a Fort Dodge Democrat, said Friday that he cannot remember anybody being as universally respected in the Capitol the way that Kibbie was.

“He was a civil and respected leader,” Beall said. “He was a heroic Korean War veteran.”

“Jack was an amazing public servant,” he added. “He was a visionary leader.”

Jim Kersten, a Republican former state senator from Fort Dodge, worked with Kibbie when he was in the Senate and years later worked with him again in his current role as vice president of government relations and external affairs at Iowa Central Community College.

“I was honored to serve in the Iowa Senate with Jack Kibbie,” Kersten said. “He was always fair to me and actually mentored me with his common sense advice.”

“He was the legislator who drafted the legislation to create Iowa’s community colleges in 1966,” Kersten added. “It is ironic that I then worked with him in the Iowa Senate when I joined Iowa Central. He worked well in a bipartisan manner and is a historic figure in Iowa history. Both he and his wife, Kay, always treated me well.”

Former Gov. Terry Branstad described Kibbie as a “dedicated public servant, known for working across the aisle.”

He added that Kibbie was “well-known for being open to all viewpoints.”

“His willingness to remain open to serving the public and getting the job done made my terms work more effectively,” Branstad said.

He said he appreciated Kibbie’s hospitality whenever he attended the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Emmetsburg.

“Jack would be the best guide and friend during those days,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, served briefly with Kibbie in the Iowa Senate.

“While we only served together in the Iowa Senate for a short time, I always had great respect for Jack’s love of Iowa, his commitment to bipartisanship and his time in the military,” Ernst said. “He embodied what it means to dedicate your life to service.”

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican, also served with Kibbie in the state legislature.

“He was a hard worker who cared about his community,” Grassley said. “The author of the legislation to create community colleges, I was proud to partner with him in that effort.”

Kibbie was a native of Palo Alto County who graduated from Silver Lake Consolidated School in Ayrshire.

He served in the Army during the Korean War. Beall said he was a tank commander who received the Bronze Star.

He was a farmer who served in the Iowa House of Representatives in the 1960s. He was elected to the state Senate in 1992 and served from 1993 to 2013. His Senate district included part of Webster County. He was president of the Senate during his last years in government.

“His office was always open when he was president of the Senate,” Beall said. “He always took time to meet whoever I brought in.’

His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg.