Dinah Katharine Culbreath Wayne

Dinah Katharine Culbreath Wayne, 77, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, went home to be with her heavenly Father on January 20, 2021. Dinah was born on October 26, 1943, in Tampa, Florida, to Melvin and Beatrice Culbreath. She married the love of her life, Alan Wayne, on March 12, 1967. Dinah and Alan immediately moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, as Alan served in the Army for two years before moving back to Flowery Branch, where she lived out the rest of her life. 

Dinah’s greatest joy was raising her two boys, Alex and Daren. She loved her life as a homemaker and as a volunteer in the community for many years. Later in life, she earned an AA from Gainesville College and a BFA in Interior Design from Brenau University. As a volunteer, she (with the help of other volunteers) was the driving force for the rehabilitation of the historic Flowery Branch Depot. She was responsible for writing the application resulting in The Better Hometown Community designation for Flowery Branch, a downtown revitalization program sponsored by the Department of Community Affairs. She later contracted with the City as the Better Hometown Director. She coordinated the ratification of the Historic Preservation Ordinance naming a Commission and Historic District and was the grant writer for the City’s Historic District Streetscape Project.  She also founded and was actively involved in a charity called Coats for Kids, which donates winter jackets to underprivileged children in Hall County. Up until December 2020, she volunteered her time with the charity, even delivering the coats herself.

Dinah enjoyed serving on many boards including Flowery Branch Historic Preservation Commission, Lanier Technical College Foundation Board, Flowery Branch Better Hometown, Inc., as Board Chairman, Friends of the Depot, Inc., as Founder/President, Flowery Branch Homemakers Club, and was a member of the Flowery Branch United Methodist Church.  She also served on the Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions Board ,The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Hall County, The Gainesville Arts Council, and Gainesville College and State University President’s Advisory Council.

Dinah was the current sitting 9th District State Board member of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) which oversees the operation of 26 technical colleges statewide including Lanier Technical College headquartered in Hall County.  In that system she was involved in adult education, which was her passion, as well as all facets of the organization to include chair of several committees. 

In addition to all the above, and little known to many, Dinah was a pilot and had soloed several airplanes.

Most precious to Dinah was her family. She is survived by her husband, Alan Wayne of Flowery Branch, Georgia; sons and daughters-in-law  Alex and Shannan Wayne of Flowery Branch, Georgia, and Daren and Kris Wayne of Buford, Georgia; her grandchildren Braden Wayne, Mackenzie Wayne, Garrett Wayne, Bennett Wayne, Jack Wayne and Oliver Wayne; and sister and brother-in-law Laurabee and Leonard Henry of Odessa, Florida. 

Her parents, Melvin and Beatrice Culbreath of Tampa, Florida, and her brother, Melvin Culbreath Jr. of Cullowhee, North Carolina, predeceased.

The family will be having a private service to celebrate Dinah’s life.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dinah Culbreath Wayne Scholarship Fund through the North Georgia Community Foundation at the link below.

Donate to the Dinah Culbreath Wayne Scholarship Fund 

or

https://ngcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=2518

Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA  30504 is in charge of arrangements.

Send online condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com