Veteran Vancouver arts administrator Brent Gibson died Monday (April 2), of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 59.

Gibson was a publicist and then executive director at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre from 1986 to 1994, and was general manager at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in the late 1990s. He also worked for the City of Vancouver’s office of cultural affairs.

“He was deeply committed to human intelligence, the imagination, and the arts,” said long-time friend Roman Onufrijchuk, an instructor at SFU’s school of communication. Former Vancouver East Cultural Centre colleague Lainé Slater said he “always stood up for the artist”. His former partner Linda Gorrie said she will remember him for his eclectic interests and lively mind.

Gibson struggled with health problems in recent years, but remained a gregarious, curious personality. “He was like a sponge,” said Onufrijchuk. “I learned a great deal about the city from him.”

He leaves behind two siblings and his beloved daughter Rosalind.