Diane Newman, 79, of Ventura, CA, passed away on September 18, 2022.

Diane was born on November 11, 1942 to Bud and Louella Germ in Grand Rapids, MN. After graduating from high school, she went on to study the arts at Ripon College in Wisconsin. She then transferred to University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a B.S. in Communication.  She married Thomas Clark in 1965 and had her only daughter, Eden , in 1966.  

 Diane was always ready to take on a new chapter in her life, wherever that took her. She moved often and took on new challenges everywhere she lived. In 1971 she and  her husband bought WVLR - a radio station in Sauk City, Wisconsin.  In 1977 they sold the station and moved to Madison, where she became the marketing director for the about to open new Madison Civic Center. She divorced in 1980. Two years later she moved to Minneapolis, MN in order to allow her daughter to attend a school for performing arts. From there she lived in Steven's Point, WI, Modesto CA, and back to Madison where she met a new business partner with whom she bought another radio station; this time in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. From there it was onto being marketing director for The Great Smokey Mountain Railroad in North Carolina. She loved being connected to the history of the country's railroads, as her father had begun his working years in the railroad business back in Minnesota and they had always enjoyed a shared love of trains. She also loved the beauty of the mountains. When her daughter Eden had twins in 2004 she decided to make a move to be closer to her family. She found that there was another historic train ride company in Filmore CA and took the job of marketing director there in 2006. Living in Ventura was a dream come true, as she had fallen in love with it there on a family vacation in 1973. Tiring of the drive to Filmore every day, she resigned and began working at the VCReporter as a sales executive in 2012. After a brief retirement she partnered with Karen Cook to buy a coupon paper business, Coupons and More Camarillo in 2019.  

 Around 2012 Diane discovered a love of watercolor painting. She especially loved painting her favorite flowers and places and people who were important to her personally. She often gifted her paintings to those in her life and used the paintings to create cards, mugs and calendars. She found joy in the arts, intellectual fulfillment in history and journalism, and civic engagement through her belief and support of small businesses. 

Diane considered herself a solitary person, and she didn't always keep in touch with even those she loved the most on very regular basis, but every where she went she formed friendships with people that lasted long after she moved away. She will be missed. 

A remembrance gathering with a light lunch afterward will be held on November 11, 2022 at 11:00 AM PT.  The  location is Public Domain at McGrath Family Farm- 1012 West Ventura Blvd, Camarillo CA 93010.   An RSVP is not required but would be helpful. Memorial Website on Everloved.com The memorial service/remembrance gathering being held on 11/11/22 will also have either a live stream or a Zoom option. I will update when I have specifics.

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