Diane’s memory book

Dear friends of Diane’s,

Stacey Dennick here. A reminder that I'm collecting stories about Diane for a memory book. If you'd like to write something please send it to: sdennick@comcast.net (a Microsoft Word file is best for longer stories.) Let me know if it’s not okay to post your piece here, or to quote parts of it during the memorial service. Here are the first messages I've gathered.

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From: Stacey Dennick, October 16, 2011 8:30:06 AM PDT

To: Alison Sheriffs Brown, Ruth Whitfield

Subject: Diane flying over Scotland now

She just passed at 8:16am. Very peacefully with no struggle or pain

– Love, Stacey

Sent from my iPhone

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From: Alison Sheriffs Brown

Subject: Re-Diane's flight, October 16, 2011 9:58:37 AM PDT

Hi Stacey,

Thank you so much for letting us know about Diane. We went for a walk on Findhorn Beach and when we were there we saw a dolphin and another amazing thing was a small set of joined kites were being flown and the child let go of it. These dancing shapes took off fast and instead of falling to the sea went on and on out to sea. The mother said she thought they were bound for Norway. We watched until we could see them no more bobbing in the air and said Diane must have flown them off with her. When we returned we found your email. How wonderful that her end was pain free and peaceful.

– love Ali and Tony xx

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From: Jennie Curtis, October 17, 2011 11:06:45 AM PDT

I was blessed to serve as Diane's spiritual companion for nearly 6 years when she was in the bay area. Her gentle spirit, deep faith and extraordinary presence will be a life long legacy and gift to those of us who were blessed to call her friend. Peace beyond measure for her spirit and to all of us here on earth who have been graced by her presence

–Jennie K. Curtis

Sent from my iPhone

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From: Chris Kagan, October 17, 2011 7:05:09 PM PDT

I've known Diane since she was in her early 20’s and I was in my mid to late 20’s. We met at a music shop (McCabes) in Los Angeles where she was singing and I was playing mandolin or banjo. Our friendship lasted until now with many phases including dating each other, being lifelong pen pals, philosophical partners, and student teacher relationships with my teaching her stock trading so she could give up having a standard job, and her teaching me musical techniques.

She was always very clever with cards, and her last birthday card to me was signed “hugs, blessings and love” which is a great summary of how she treated me and so many others. We used to have a playful competition regarding who could create the card with the best twists of phrase, and it was fun. We introduced our friends to each other, had dinners, recently went to an owl evening, the birds, not her singing group of the same name. That singing group was very good. She was the star vocalist. Her half Jewish, half Christian background always had a special appeal to me, a sort of hybrid intellectual and spiritual vigor. She showed a lot of courage, and enjoyed nature, music, friends, ideas, and was naturally artful. Sue, my wife, liked her and she liked Sue. We will both miss her.

– Chris Kagan

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From: John Worthington, October 18, 2011 6:06:16 AM

An ode to a flying swan

In days past I was a flying instructor with the Moray Flying Club in Scotland and this was where I first met Diane. She had achieved her flying ticket in the USA and I had the pleasure of teaching her the whys and wherefores of flying in the UK. We spoke a whole lot of different gobbledegook over the airwaves here. Diane was quick to learn and soon after that teaching period we embarked on innumerable hours of pleasure flying together. Behind that intense façade there was a twinkle in the eye that revealed a yearning for a something a little less mundane.

We flew all types of contraptions from modern touring aircraft to home built machines to a Second World War biplane and we would clatter into the skies with frivolous abandon. We flew high, we flew low, we flew fast, we flew slow, we performed aerobatics and occasionally came to earth with a bump – we were in mutual agreement that no matter how hard the bump if you could walk away from the landing it wasn’t such a bad one after all. Those times are long past and I miss the fun we had. The memories are mine to cherish. Alas I no longer fly but Diane you are now soaring with the angels. Take care and God bless.

–John Worthington