Diane was one of a kind!  She was the real deal!  She always cared about the outsider, the uninformed, the newcomer, the underserved and would extend herself whenever and however possible.  Her generosity was boundless....from the saltine sleeves and peppermint she brought to those from our arthritis class when we were getting ready to take "strong" pain meds after joint replacement surgery to the holiday goodie bags she made up and delivered to neighbors to the unlimited help she provided to family and friends.  

I will never forget her generosity on one of our cruises in paying the "add-on" charge for an onshore excursion for a young veteran's widow whom she'd just met but who could not afford the extra expense.  It was the little things and the big things too.   So many other examples to illustrate how Diane was inclusive and welcoming. 

Diane was a doer and do she did! Perhaps it was innate, maybe her military training, but she knew how to get a job done.  And when she was physically unable to fulfill the task, she had the "contacts" and the means to see it to fruition. 

I've never met anyone like Diane and I am so grateful that she was in my life for the 20 or so years that she was.  REST IN POWER MY FRIEND.

• I am so sorry to hear this Ruth! My heart goes out to you although we haven't touched bases in awhile. Diane was my  Chief Nurse during my enlistment at the 86th Combat Support Hospital. She was hard core and sturdy from the years she served in Vietnam. My hero. She was a mentor and life long friend that  helped my through difficult days in obtaining my goals and successes during the years I was commissioned in the Army Nurse Corp. She became a good comrade post retirement. Always willing to help and listen to others.