Rhiannon Mim

Jane Dibbell’s daughter, Dominique Dibbell, played guitar and sang a song she wrote in 2000 titled “Happy Mothers Day,” at the memorial celebration for Jane Reilly Dibbell, associate professor of theater. Jane Dibbell died Oct. 3. Friends and loved ones packed the Dailey Theatre. The two-hour program Sunday included a standing ovation for Ms. Dibbell.

Yelena Ovcharenko
LV Life Editor

Jane Dibbell’s daughter, Dominique Dibbell, played guitar and sang a song she wrote in 2000 titled “Happy Mothers Day,” at the memorial celebration for Jane Reilly Dibbell, associate professor of theater. Jane Dibbell died Oct. 3. Friends and loved ones packed the Dailey Theatre. The two-hour program Sunday included a standing ovation for Ms. Dibbell. peace and her worry-free nature radiated from her.

Paul Reilly, Dibbell’s eldest brother began his speech with one of her sayings, “Lift up your hearts!”

“Jane has done great things for us, let us rejoice,” Paul Reilly said.

Gorman Reilly, her brother, recalled anecdotes on how Dibbell believed in acting on her emotions since childhood. This often allowed her to get away with her mischievousness and helped her to win the center stage.

“Jane made a habit of extending herself to reaching out,” Gorman Reilly said.

Dominique Dibbell, Jane Dibbell’s daughter, recalled an incident at Las Vegas when her mother won the jackpot at the nickel slots. Enough coins to fill an entire bucket came pouring out of the machine. Five minutes later, Jane Dibbell was sitting at the slot machines with the empty bucket on her head. She had gambled away every nickel of her winnings.

“She could take nothing and make something very funny of it,” Dominique Dibbell said.

Dominique Dibbell forced all to smile and laugh through their tears with her Mother’s Day song written in the year 2000. She thanked her mom for letting her wear trousers, preventing her brother from choking and letting her be gay.

Kinzie strummed harmonious chords on his acoustic guitar with Tom Moose, ULV 2000 alumnus.

Sarah Leddy, a dance instructor at ULV, began her dance for Jane Dibbell with yoga-like moves that evolved into an over-exaggerated version of the salsa dance, honoring Jane Dibbell’s fascination with Latin American culture and free spirit. Leddy energetically twisted her hips, gracefully moved her arms, twirled and swung off a pole using every inch of the stage.

Julian Dibbell, Jane Dibbell’s son reflected on the second chance that his mother received after her initial death sentence seven years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer and was told that she had eight months to live.

“I think of it as an amazing episode of chapters,” Julian Dibbell said. “It was a chance for her to do a lot of things, accept imperfection and love what was there.”

Whitney Zänker, a senior French major, recalled an incident during one of her lessons. “I told Jane, I want to be just like you,” Zänker said. “Jane looked at me and said be happy being you.”

“That's the most valuable lesson I have learned in college,” Zänker said.

Students, family and friends took turns sharing memorable clips of Jane Dibbell’s life during the two-hour program.

Julian Dibbell reflected Jane Dibbell’s humor by recalling her wish for this service to be short and for everyone to share a story knowing that this was impossible. A reception in the Frank and Nadine Johnson Family Plaza followed the service.

A scholarship through the Jane Reilly Dibbell Theatre Fund is coming into fruition through family members and University Relations. The scholarship will benefit theater students at the University of La Verne.

“That is the remembrance that I’d most like to have because I have seen their struggles,” said Paul Reilly, recalling Jane Dibbell's reaction to the idea when she was still alive.

Yelena Ovchrenko can be reached at yovcharenko@ulv.edu.