Jim Duff (friend, Executive Director of the Brandywine River Museum)

Libby was a great friend to all of us and she had many wonderful traits, the humour that’s been talked about. But one particular trait I admired, I think was so important, and that is that Libby never seemed to hesitate to tell you what was on her mind. In fact, as she seldom failed to let you know what she thought you ought to do, I suspect that everyone of us here had benefited from that trait in Libby Dean. I certainly listened whenever she was around. We had her advice and we sought her advice. I know that I would not have done many things that I’ve done here without Libby. When she said to me, I think repeatedly, often enough, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but here’s what you should probably do now.” And very, very often, that’s exactly what we did.

She changed my life, she changed my work here, always for the better. We have even hired people here because Libby said “You ought to look at that person; that’s somebody who you ought to be working with.” We paid attention to what she said because we were wise, and she was wise. We were wise simply because we followed that lead. She had an enormous twinkle in her eye. I think that’s why we sought her out--it was one of the reasons, at least, we sought her out. You remember that twinkle. In fact, we read and hear all the time about people with a twinkle in their eye. I think you’d agree with me that no one in this world ever had a greater twinkle than Libby did. And so we looked to her. Three weeks ago, she was in the shop and I saw her walking towards the museum book store. I saw that twinkle from a distance and so I went over and walked with her across the lobby and chatted with her, and we got to the elevator, and she wanted to go somewhere else so she very kindly let me know that it was time for me to go. And so I went. And now she’s gone.

Except that that twinkle is here for all of us who were privileged to work with her, to know her and to love her. That twinkle is here in this room, it’s in the hallways over there, and it will be with us for years and years to come in all of the galleries upstairs.