Francine Dibben

Francine Dibben, 60, longtime business manager for Gainesville Theatre Alliance and tireless advocate for the arts, died Monday, October 26, 2009.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 34 years, Jim Dibben of Clermont, daughters Melissa and Andrea of Atlanta; her mother Clara Conner of Farmington, Maine, stepmother Audrey Conner of Marshall, Michigan, her sisters Eileen (Bill) Burns of Burlington, Michigan, and Janine Altman; parents-in-law Bill and Margaret Dibben of St. Albans, UK; and a large and loving family of devoted friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Dr. Harold Conner.

Francine earned her BA in Anthropology from University of Maryland and a MEd. in Adult Education from University of Georgia, where, until the onset of her illness, she was a doctoral student with research interests focused on theatre as an educational tool in community-based arts settings.

Francine was a talented author of successful grant applications, participated in budget planning and tracking, and headed up the marketing efforts of GTA after joining the organization in 1986. She was keenly interested in cultural and physical accessibility issues, and served for many years as community liaison for Theatre Wings volunteers. Francine also spearheaded GTAâ