Diane Valerie Carlson

Resident of Los Gatos

March 18, 1943 - August 8, 2021

Diane Valerie Carlson passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on August 8, 2021 after ten months battling intestinal disease.

Born and raised in the Sunset District of San Francisco, the only child of Irv and Marie Wilson, Diane enjoyed music and dance, Girl Scouts, riding the street cars to work at the downtown city library, Broadway shows, SF baseball (a lifelong fan), summers at her grandparent’s cabin in Dutch Flat, and regular, wonderful family events with her many cousins in the Bay Area. She cruised on the Transatlantique SS Liberte with her parents in 1960 and traveled through ten European countries...the beginning of a lifelong love of travel.

Diane graduated from St. Rose Academy in 1961. She met her husband, Raoul Carlson, while attending San Jose State College; they married in 1964. She honed many business skills with the Kelly Girl Services company, becoming Miss Business Show in 1964.

In 1965, Raoul & Diane settled into the Town of Los Gatos, started their company, SkyBlue Pool Supply N Service, and soon came Kimberly in 1968 and Ryan in 1971. Diane embraced and excelled at the roles of wife, mother, business owner, community volunteer, church member and friend.

Most remembered for her warm, exuberant, yet tenacious personality, her customers looked forward to finding her behind her desk or counter at SkyBlue. She taught her children by example how to serve customers and run a family business with both professionalism and small town care, making everyone who walked through her doors feel welcome.

Girl Scout leader, room mother and PTA President at both Blossom Hill Elementary and Los Gatos High School. #1 fan of LGHS Football. Elected school board member of Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District for two terms. Board member of KCAT-TV station. Choir member at Calvary Baptist Church for 20 years, participating in hundreds of Easter and Christmas performances as well as weekly services.

Diane had a heart for visiting missionaries and new people just moved to town, often inviting them to family holiday meals.  She hosted two foreign exchange students for one year each while her children were in high school.

Raoul & Diane raised an active family going to the beach, camping, ocean fishing, snow and waterskiing, road tripping the western states, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada and Fiji. In her lifetime she also travelled to most of the continental American states, Alaska, European river cruises, European walking tours, Hong Kong, China, Nepal, Tibet, New England/Canada fall colors tour, Ireland, a Scotland knitting tour, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.

In her later years, Diane was an avid knitter, making beautiful garments for family and friends, and dabbled in quilting as well. She kept a beautiful, decorated home, changing colors with the seasons and holidays.

Diane had a passion for family history and spent many years researching her ancestry, including taking multiple DNA tests and uploading the results online. What a surprise when at 76 years old, she discovered she was adopted at birth! Not only was Diane NOT an only child, but she had five half-siblings! She had the joy in her last two years to get to know two half-sisters, Karen Brown and Judy Davis, a true blessing to her.

Diane is also survived by her daughter-in-law Christine Carlson; grandchildren Lucas Farwell, Brynn Farwell, Donovan Farwell, Forrest Farwell, Caelyn Carlson, Tobias Farwell, Sandee Carlson and Reyn Carlson; sisters-in-law Elizabeth B. Davies and Vicki K. Carlson; cousins that were like siblings to her Tom Loughran and Josephine Luck. Preceded in death by cousin-sibling Sandra Dowling.

Diane Carlson epitomized the Proverbs 31 woman. Her last months fighting her illness with courage and dignity were a testament to all that she had done in her life for her family and her community throughout her life. “Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come… her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” 

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