FRANCIS CHEETHAM was an impressive, friendly man, passionate for the arts, for craftsmanship, for learning — and above all for the museum as a lively embodiment of these values. He held the presidency of the Museums Association in 1978-79 and in 1980 was appointed OBE.

Born in Sheffield in 1928, Francis William Cheetham earned a degree in Spanish at Sheffield University in 1949. After National Service he worked as a teacher in Sheffield and did voluntary work at Sheffield Museum.

He next worked for Derby Museums Education Service then moved to Bolton Museum as an assistant in 1957. In 1960 he went to Nottingham Castle Museum as deputy art director and curator and in 1963 he became director of Norwich Museums.

His passion for the job of director was unstoppable. He created the new departments of education and display.

Cheetham’s lasting achievement was the creation of the Norfolk Museums Service in 1974, which was a beacon to the rest of the profession. Cheet-ham’s professional acumen and vision helped to secure the agreement of all parties to create the service and also to include the Norfolk Archaeological Unit within it.

He was driven by a passionate belief in the cultural benefit of museums and the arts in the widest sense. Cheetham was innovative in seeking sponsorship and travelled widely in the name of Norfolk and the cultural good.

He ensured that exhibitions of the collections went to countries all over the world. Shows of watercolours were sent to Norwich’s twin cities of Rouen, Koblenz and Novi Sad, Serbia. He was instrumental too in organising a series of performing arts festivals in Norwich. He was a truly entrepreneurial director.

In Norwich, Cheetham was much respected. He fostered a close relationship with the key people who had an interest in the museums, forging friendships within political circles and local supporters.

His passion was principally for the arts, in particular contemporary craft. He transformed the Castle Museum with a series of craft fairs. He was a founder of the Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society and on his retirement became its president.

He fostered a growing flow of school parties to the museums, and the education team grew in strength.

Cheetham also developed his own scholarship. His personal study interest was in medieval English alabasters, based on his early work with the Nottingham collection. After retirement he published in 2003 what is now the standard work on the alabasters in the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1989 he received an honorary MA from Sheffield University in recognition of his work in preparation for that volume. His work on the Nottingham alabaster collection was published this year. On retirement he lectured extensively on alabasters.

He was married to Monica Fairhurst in 1954, and leaves three sons and a daughter.

Francis Cheetham, OBE, museum director and writer on medieval alabasters, was born on February 5, 1928. He died on November 8, 2005, aged 77.