Diane's memorial service 10/29

Diane G. Luboff’s Memorial Service will be held at 2PM on Saturday, October 29^th, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1123 Court Street, San Rafael, CA 94901.

Fr. Thomas Brindley will officiate. St. Paul’s Choir, under the leadership of Michael Struck, will perform the music. The Flowers will be provided by St. Paul’s Altar Guild

Donations in remembrance of Diane may be sent to any of the following:

Society of St. Francis, Provence of the Americas, Inc. San Damiano Friary,

573 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Upward Call Ministries, Inc, Fr. Thomas Brindley,

704 Sutro Ave, Novato, CA 94947

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Choir Ministry,

1123 Court St., San Rafael , 94901

Samaritan's Purse - Turn on the Tap, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC, 28607

A reminder, the burial will be Friday, Oct. 21, 2PM, Sebastopol Memorial Lawn.

Tribute to Diane from Tom Montagne

I am an ex boy friend and the American living in Berlin or better known as the Bubba to my beloved Bubette!

Diane and I were a couple back around 1989 to ?? 1991. I rented her apartment on Venice Beach when she made the decision to move to Sedona. There was a short period when we both lived together in that apartment which I remember with very fond memories. As a couple we were probably not the best match in the world, but as soul mates we were perfect – both alcoholics, both adventurers, both looking for something beyond the next cloud or mountain top. I admired her spirit so damn much and her dedication and perseverance. As an example, I was with her in Sedona the weekend that she first soled in an airplane. She took me to the airfield one Saturday morning just to show me flight school and the planes she had been training in. Her instructor was there and asked her if she had a little time free. Diane said yes and her instructor said, “Good because you’re going to solo this morning!” You could hear the gulp in Diane throat but she said, “IF you think I’m ready …OK!”. As her instructor and I stood on the end of the runway she said to me, “Don’t worry she knows what she’s doing.” And she did, making a perfect take off and return landing. We then went out for a celebratory breakfast. Nothing seemed impossible for her, as for example her deciding to move to Scotland and open a flying service. The business may never have gotten off the ground but it was not from and lack of effort on Diane’s part. Her spirit and drive was truly amazing.

Like you, I have thousands of memories of “Sweet Diane,” the vast majority are private and better left in our hearts. My last phone conversation with her was the day she was released from the UCSF hospital back in August. What I remember most from that conversation is that as we were saying good bye, I told her that I loved her and after a timely, no doubt surprised pause she repeated the same back to me. Funny how much I feel those words today.

One more thought that I want to express to you is that I knew how much she loved her father and especially her little brother, as well as the difficult relationship she had with her mother. I can only think that she is happy now having been re-united with the two (if not three) most important people in her life. You and I may be missing a “best friend” but she is with her family that no doubt loved her as much as she loved them.

– Tom Montagne

Collecting photos of Diane

Diane's sister Jean (third from the left) is collecting photos, digital or printed.

Jpeg or tiff photos may be sent to Jean Libby - jalibby@pacbell.net. If you have printed photos email Jean for her snail mail address. She can scan them.

Peace,

Stacey

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.

***

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

***

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

***

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

***

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

***

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

Green burial for Diane Friday, Oct. 21

Dear loved ones,

Diane’s burial will be held this Friday, 10/21, 2 pm at Sebastopol Memorial Lawn, 7951 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, CA 95472; Phone (707) 823-7434.

Fr. Thomas Brindley and Br. Jude Hill will officiate. We will also plant a redwood tree at her site.

Since Diane loved embedded links so much, I offer you info about green burials.

There will be a memorial service at the end of the month, check back here for details as they’re confirmed.

Peace,

Stacey

A true friend passes away

Diane passed peacefully, surrounded by loving friends, yesterday morning.

A memorial service will be held sometime around the end of the month, date and time TBD.

Stacey Dennick is collecting stories about Diane, some of which may be included in the memorial service, and all will be printed and added to a memory book. If you'd like to write something, the more specific the better, please send it to: sdennick@comcast.net (a Microsoft Word file is best.)

Update from Diane's Friends

Hello to everyone who reads Diane’s blog. We are Ruth, Ali and Tony - the Scottish friends who visited Diane last month and had a very wonderful holiday with her.

We wanted to let you know that Diane was taken into hospital (UCSF) last weekend after having stomach flu and a UTI. She was in a lot of pain and very weak. Thankfully the medical staff were able give her sedatives and she’s now much more comfortable.

Diane was desperate to return home and at the end of this week, her wonderful friends organised ‘around the clock’ care. The hospital would only discharge her on condition she had 24/7 care, so a rota was quickly and efficiently created.

Thankfully Diane was able to return home by ambulance yesterday (Friday). The ‘Hospice on the Bay’ offered training to those who are taking care of her. There is a hospital bed in her living room as she can’t lie flat due to difficulty breathing. It’s situated by the two windows and she’s surrounded by flowers.

Her friend Laura wrote the following on Saturday, 15 Oct:

Diane is resting at home, in her last days. She was SOOOOO happy to get back. She is very medicated now and not so lucid much of the time, but she has moments of clarity. Getting home was just one of those clear moments, and it was just 'heaven' for her. I was there, and also two other friends and a Hospice social worker when she got home. When she was settled in her bed, she wanted ice cream, and so we all ate vanilla ice cream together. It was lovely.

We cannot list everyone who has helped to make her final days comfortable, truly loved and cared for spiritually as well as physically and emotionally. We’d be sure to miss someone out.

Her friend Maggie asked if she needed anything and her response was, "your prayers."

Chris in Seattle was able to upload this posting - thank you so very much to everyone. It means a lot to us being so far away to know that our dear friend Diane is being cherished in her final days.