Diane was a remarkably optimistic and sanguine individual. She embraced life fully, with eagerness, delight and enthusiasm, even during her long siege with the ovarian cancer that ultimately ended her life. She seldom let herself get gloomy, glum, dejected or depressed, constantly rising above the health challenges she lived with off and on for nearly 14 years. She continued to travel all over the world, run her ophthalmology office, perform eye surgery, sing in her church choir, attend musical and theatrical performances and dog shows, host events at her home, including a huge â??Suddenly Seventyâ? party attended by family and friends from various social circles and from every decade of her life.Diane had dozensâ??probably hundredsâ?? of friends, yet she always made each one of us feel uniquely special. She continued to be a cheerleader for any one of us who needed encouragement, help or support of any kind, and showed up at special celebrations for friends if she was in town and possibly could, even while going through new chemotherapy treatments every few years. Her hair had just grown back in for the first of four times she lost it when she and her husband came to my 60th birthday party. As always, she looked radiant.Diane never did anything half-way. My daughter Meg and I were in a Moms and Daughterâ??s Book Group that Diane and her daughter, Caroline, were also part of for a few years in the late 90â??s, On one occasion, when it was Diane and Carolineâ??s turn to host the book group, the book weâ??d chosen to read had an east Indian theme. When we arrived that day, Diane had every Indian food imaginable set out on the table on her deck for our sampling and eating pleasure while we discussed the book. Â Diane loved to talk and could speak intelligently about myriad things, yet she was also a really good listener. She often had sage advice to give and if someone had a problem, she offered help in any way she could. When I was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 1997, Diane insisted that my husband, daughter and I met her at her office (on a Sunday afternoon as I recall) so she could double check my eye. She then explained the condition to us in a much more sensitive, caring way that the Kaiser ophthalmologist could have and found a physician in the Kaiser system to recommend for the surgery. A few weeks before she died she emailed me to recommend an orthopedic surgeon outside Kaiser for a third opinion about what might be going on with my knee.Diane loved dogs, birds, roses, orchids, reading, singing, good food, new adventures but most of all she loved her family, extended family and friends. Â Her smile could light up a room and brighten any get-together. Dianeâ??s wisdom,her ebullient nature, her endless generosity, her warm and caring presence in this world will be so greatly missed by so many. It was my great good fortune to know her for thirty years. Dawn Nelson ~ â??Moms Over 40â? Group
