Dianne J. White

Dianne Joan (Boreiszo) White was taken from us suddenly at the Southside Regional Medical Center on Nov. 8, 2008 after a brief illness.

She was born March 13, 1943 in Milltown, N.J. After Attending the New Brunswick High School she attended Marietta College for two years and then graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Education. After graduating college, Dianne worked for NBC in New York City before joining Pan American World Airlines as a flight attendant and purser, where she never tired of traveling to new and exotic destinations around the world. Certified as a teacher, she worked in various elementary and junior high schools in NYC while still flying for Pan Am. She married in 1970, became a mother in 1973 and again in 1978 but continued flying until she retired from Pan American in 1989. She joined World Wings International where she was active as vice president of the NJ/Philadelphia chapter. Dianne then became a publishing liaison for Demark Communications Inc., NYC, where she wrote, designed, developed, edited and sold advertising for the yearly business and municipal directory, "Who's Who in West Windsor." Following that she became the managing editor for the News Eagle, a weekly newspaper in West Windsor, N.J. with a circulation of 20,000.

In 1998 she visited Petersburg, Va., fell in love with the city and purchased the historic Dodson's Tavern with her husband in 1999. After extensive renovations she moved into Dodson's Tavern in 2004 and became an activist for the renaissance of her adopted city. She became immediately interested in the local theater, Sycamore Rouge, when it was first introduced to her "as a possibility" because of her strong belief in the importance of the theater as a catalytic cornerstone in the revitalization of historic downtown Petersburg in providing an artistic venue. After the theater's official grand opening she joined the theater's Board of Directors in January 2006, and became president of the Board in March 2007. She embraced the challenges presented in nurturing the theater with a passionate "hands on" approach, determined to assure the survival and long-term viability of Sycamore Rouge. Dianne was a member of CARE International as part of a Pan Am World Wings Int. group that lobbies Washington for support of AIDS and World hunger projects. She was also a member of The Woman's Club of Petersburg.

She is survived by her Husband, Robert Carey White; daughter, Carey White Maas and her husband Jason Maas; granddaughter Savannah Maas; son, Craig Clarke White; and her sisters, Janice Cox, Joanne Elvins and Dale Watten.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Nov. 15, 2008 at the Prince of Peace Lutheran church, Princeton Hightstown Road, West Windsor, N.J. Her family welcomes flowers for this service. A celebration of her life will be held starting at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 at Sycamore Rouge, 21 West Old St., in Old Towne, Petersburg, Va. Donations to Sycamore Rouge in lieu of flowers are welcome in her memory. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com.