Franklin Eugene Dybdahl (“Gene” or “Dr. D”), age 85, passed away on January 25, 2022 at the Life Care Center in Medina, OH. He was born in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on June 10, 1936 to the late Frank and Emma Hettie (White) Dybdahl. He graduated from Scottsbluff High School in 1954 where he was active in theater, music, and tennis, and worked with his father building houses. After graduating high school, he attended colleges in California and Oklahoma before moving back to Nebraska and working at a sugar beet factory. He later earned his Bachelor of Music Education in 1960 and Master of Music in 1962 from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan in voice and opera in 1970.
At U of M, he performed in over a dozen opera productions – his most significant role was Wozzeck in the Berg opera of the same name, staged in Hill Auditorium in 1965. His professional singing and conducting career included performances with Toledo Opera, Grand Rapids Opera, Wichita Symphony, St. Petersburg Opera, and Mobile Opera. His college teaching career included UNL, Ohio University, SUNY Potsdam, Wichita State, Florida State, and Bowling Green State University. He was also a stockbroker in Omaha, NE for a number of years. He retired from BGSU in 2005 where he is Emeritus Professor of Music Performance Studies.
He had a gregarious personality and a tremendous sense of humor. He loved socializing, but was also content just spending quiet time with his family. He enjoyed eating out and watching movies (particularly James Bond and Westerns) and sporting events (especially UNL and U of M football).
Gene is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Cynthia (Hansen) Dybdahl, whom he met at UNL where they student-taught together and married in Superior, NE in 1960. Cynthia and Gene enjoyed vacationing together, including trips to Hawaii and Arizona and cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean. Cynthia and Gene were inseparable and Cynthia remained continuously by his side throughout the past 3 years when he became a resident of an assisted living facility and later at the Life Care Center nursing home. He is also survived by loving daughters Julie (James) Meidlinger of Kendall Park, NJ and Katarina “Katie” (Edward) Waag of Medina, OH, and cherished grandchildren Kirsten and Nathan Meidlinger.
Private family services will be held and he will be laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery in Superior, NE at a later date.
Arrangements through Waite & Son Funeral Homes Medina.
