Community Corner
Foxborough Bids Farewell to the Oprah Winfrey Show
Jerry Cibley of Foxborough and his wife, Dr. Jeri Katz are two people whose lives Oprah Winfrey has personally touched.
After 25 years as the “Queen of Talk”, Oprah Winfrey is preparing to sign off for the last time. The final Oprah Winfrey Show will air on Wednesday, May 25.
Every day, almost 7.5 million Americans tune in to hear what Oprah has to say. She has interviewed the most famous people of our time, from Tom Cruise to Maya Angelou and practically everyone in between.
Yet next week, the “most successful woman in the world” will call an end to her internationally acclaimed talk show. Throughout her career, Oprah has been not only a celebrity but also a philanthropist, and she has inspired many people worldwide.
Jerry Cibley of Foxborough and his wife, Dr. Jeri Katz, a professor at Bridgewater State University, are two of those people whose lives Oprah Winfrey has personally touched.
In May of 2007, Cibley’s son, 18-year-old Jordan Cibley, was killed in a car accident on Barrows Street in Norton. Jordan had apparently dropped his cell phone while talking to his father. Reaching down to pick it up, Jordan lost control of the car, and struck a “massive” oak tree.
Two days later, Jerry Cibley put his son’s story into words, and emailed it to Oprah.
Then, in 2010, Oprah Winfrey dedicated a show to the dangers of “distracted driving”, specifically texting or talking on the phone. Oprah featured Jerry Cibley on her show that day, telling the heartbreaking tale of his son’s accident, an experience Cibley calls “bittersweet”. Cibley told reporters then that Oprah’s attention to the topic meant “there’s somebody with an incredible force behind her” on his side.
Oprah launched a campaign that day to discourage distracted driving, asking viewers and guests alike to sign a “No Phone Zone” pledge, vowing to refrain from ANY cell phone use while driving. Although almost a million people have signed the pledge, Cibley ultimately calls this result “disappointing”, considering the number of viewers Oprah has.
Later that year, Massachusetts passed the “Distracted Driving Law”, making it illegal to text while driving, and illegal for any drivers under age 18 to use cell phone AT ALL while behind the wheel.
Although Cibley says of losing his son, “it doesn’t get any better, it gets worse”, he calls his experience as a guest on the Oprah show “amazing”.
Indeed, Oprah Winfrey has impacted many, many lives throughout her impressive career. She will undoubtedly be missed, right here in Foxborough, and all around the world.
