Clinton Dion Hibdon

Clinton Dion Hibdon, 58, of Versailles, passed away on January 12, 2026. He was born on July 14, 1967, the much loved son of Guido and Stella Hibdon. Dion was loved by all who knew him. He had a caring personality and a gift for speaking to a crowd of people “making them laugh, cry and leave them wanting for more”. As a child he was immersed into a life outdoors. Generations of the Hibdon family were fishing guides. They used every opportunity to trap, fish or sell furs to provide for their family. Dion adored his father, Guido. When Guido gained success while fishing professional bass tournaments, Dion described him as a god. People feared being in a fishing tournament with Guido Hibdon. Dion was witness to all of this and it lit a desire in him to emulate his father’s successes. Dion made his first impact on the bass fishing world when he designed the original Guido Bug as a school science project. He created a mold of a live crayfish using plaster of Paris, resulting in the soft plastic crawfish made famous when his father, Guido, relied on the lure to win the 1980 Bassmaster Missouri Invitational at Lake of the Ozarks and the 1988 Bassmaster Classic. While still in high school, Dion guided on Lake of the Ozarks and competed in regional tournament circuits. After graduating from Morgan County R2 high school, Dion joined his father, Guido on the professional tournament trail and competed in his first B.A.S.S. event in 1985. Dion competed in 168 B.A.S.S. tournaments from 1985 to 2022 and recorded 21 Top 10 finishes, 41 Top 20 finishes, 60 Top 30 finishes and finished in the money 72 times. He qualified for eight Bassmaster Classics and won the 1997 Classic. From 1996 to 2023, Dion competed in 219 Major League Fishing (MLF) events winning 5 tournaments and finishing in the Top 10 26 times. One of his five victories was the 2000 FLW Championship on the Red River. By winning the 1997 Bassmaster Classic and the 2000 FLW Championship, Dion became one of only five anglers to win both championships. Fishing was only a small part of who Dion was. He was united in marriage to Jill Marriott in 1989 and to that marriage three boys were born. His most favorite role was being the father to Payden, Lawson and Connar. Dion was united in marriage to Amy Lutman Dornan on January 30, 2012. They pieced together a family adding Amy’s four boys to Dion’s three. When Dion’s father fell ill, he put his career on hold to care for and be with him every day while he received care in the nursing home. Dion would spend hours talking to his dad or playing cards with him to pass the time. When Guido passed away in 2018 Dion was crushed and struggled to return to the fishing community. He said it was never the same without his dad. Dion would say of himself, I am a “mediocre fisherman, but I can talk.”. He was famous for his fishing seminars. He had a deep passion to help kids explore and enjoy the outdoors. He would drop everything to help a high school fishing team with a seminar or a tournament. He loved taking kids out on the water and getting them “hooked” on fishing. Dion was a member of the Glensted United Methodist Church and was baptized on October 29, 2017. He helped with crowd control while Amy taught Sunday School every Sunday. He loved watching his grandchildren learn and sing songs about Jesus. James Bryant and Dion were the hosts of the Reel Unfiltered Podcast. He enjoyed visiting with local fishermen and giving fishing advice on different baits and techniques. He loved to tell stories about, and was acquainted with, most lakes in the United States. Dion had a strange fascination with Bigfoot. He believed and loved to watch documentaries about finding him. He was convinced that he lived down by the Gravois Creek and thought that he could hear him call. Dion enjoyed playing Santa Claus for kids. For the past several years he came to the school where Amy is employed and put each child on his lap, asked them what they were wishing for, let them tug on his beard and sent them away with a candy cane. He loved making kids smile. In late 2022 Dion’s health declined and he was placed on dialysis. He never let that keep him from his love of the outdoors. He stayed closer to home and fished local tournaments. He and Amy enjoyed fishing the Eldon Bassmasters Thursday night tournament through the summers. His competitive spirit was strong and every tournament was important to him and he wanted to win. He hunted through rifle season this fall even after having another health set back over the summer. Dion loved the outdoors so much that he spent his last days hunting and enjoying the outdoors with his grandkids and family. Dion is survived by his wife, Amy of the home; his sons Payden, Lawson (Bonnie) and Connar (Rochelle); his step-sons Mitchell (Ashley), Reagan (Cassidy), Sam and Ben. He was most proud and overjoyed to be “Papa Dion” or “Pa” to 11 grandchildren, Piper Hibdon, Truman and Tucker Hibdon, Charles, Marshall, Danny, Primrose and Emma Dornan and Hays, Dicy and Merrill Dornan. He is also survived by his sister, Dotty (Dale) and many other nieces, nephews, family and friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Stella and Guido, brother, Chuck, his former wife, Jill Marriott and one granddaughter, Paisley Hibdon. He will be incredibly missed by his family and now there is a gaping hole in the fishing community. A celebration of life will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, January 18th, at the Stover Community Center with a dinner to follow. Memorial contributions are suggested to Amy Hibdon to establish a fund to promote youth fishing and outdoor activities for young people. Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Kidwell-Garber Funeral Home of Versailles.

Clinton Dion Hibdon

July 14, 1967 - January 12, 2026

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Clinton Dion Hibdon

July 14, 1967 - January 12, 2026

About Us

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