Florence A. Gibson

GIBSON FLORENCE A. GIBSON Florence A. Gibson died Friday, January 7, 2011 in her home at the age of 86 after a long battle with cancer. Mrs. Gibson earned her degree at University of California, Berkeley, and studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York with Sanford Meisner. She began her career as a professional actress with a six-month tour of Blithe Spirit in the U.S.O. at the end of World War II. She continued her career as a radio actress and, for the next several years, landed roles in various industrial films and voice-overs for numerous organizations, including the National Geographic. After marrying Carlos Gibson, a Peruvian diplomat, in 1947, she took a break from her acting career to raise their four children. During her years as a mother, she took on numerous volunteer jobs, including acting as Chair of the Washington Committee of the American Field Service for 5 years and founding and chairing the Peruvian committee of the American Field Service in Lima, PerC:. Also, she served on the board of the Foreign Student Service Council and on the Advisory Council of Recording for the Blind and the Washington Stage Guild. Finally, she was a former board member of Concern, an environmental organization. After launching her children into their adult years, she continued her acting career as a narrator of Talking Books for the Library of Congress, Books on Tape, Recorded Books, Inc. and various other commercial companies and radio stations. In her words, "At the age when many sensible people retire," she started her own recording business, Audio Book Contractors, recording unabridged classic books for libraries, schools and individuals. Audio Book Contractors employs DC area professional actors and continues to rent and sell recordings to individuals and organizations throughout the United States She recorded over 1130 unabridged classic books. Her awards include 3 Parents' Choice Awards and her work was listed four times on the National Library Association's "Most Notable Recordings for Children" list. She is survived by her three daughters, Nancy (Derry), Katherine and Carrie Gibson, and her three grandchildren, Chris Cimbalo Gibson, Elsa GibsonBraden and Jamie Braden. Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the American Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, Feed the Children, Capitol Area Food Bank, or Project Hope. A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 14 at 3 p.m. at St. Alban's Parish on the grounds of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 14 at 3 p.m. at St. Alban's Parish on the grounds of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.