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Tributes

 

    There are people who hold within them a light so warm it cannot be contained.  Diane was one of those people. The warmth of the light she carried flowed into the presence of all those around her. She seemed to be almost incapable of true anger—it instead would manifest as disappointment, sadness or irritation. But true anger? I never saw it.

     We met many years ago when I began a veterinary clinic in Socorro, NM. She brought her many pets in, and we visited about the care she wanted for those less fortunate animals that lived in Magdalena. Always willing to help in cases of injury or illness, but truly passionate about getting animals spayed or neutered to prevent increasing the population. She would work tirelessly to arrange surgeries, captures and care for the sick.

     At one point she became aware of “several” (translated into 20 or so…) feral cats in a large chain link enclosure where the owner had left them when they moved from Magdalena. They were being fed and watered, but she wanted them fixed and re-homed. A very good idea, I agreed, but somehow the thought of catching 20 or so feral cats loose in a 10x12’ chain link enclosure was a bit daunting to most of us. Not to Diane! So, my mind’s eye can still recall 3 or 4 of us in there with fishing nets and gloves chasing, dodging, grabbing the reluctant stars of the show. But we did, and they were fixed, and vaccinated. Then Diane’s power of persuasion became apparent. As far as I am aware, they all got placed. Quite an achievement!

     I never tired of her laughter, her voice or her kindness. When a dog came into her life, I always told her that it had hit the doggie lotto! It was true. She gave them, as she gave us all, kindness, understanding and compassion.

     I do miss my friend. -Teresa Gonzales-

 

 

Mrs. Allen had a class full of us middle schoolers. Since she mostly taught high school, we were definitely a different type of a wild bunch.

 I remember our class just being entirely out of control and then all of a sudden hearing the screeching sound of literal nails on a chalk board. That stopped everyone in their track and full attention in the front of the room.

 There she was, sitting on her imaginary chair, with that “smile”.

 I’ll never forget that laugh.

 

 She will for my favorite teacher, neighbor, and friend.

-Arielle Wohlberg-

 

 

 

A Poem for Diane  

 

When day breaks and night falls,

I see you there, long grey hair

Still shiny and lovely.

Like Mary from Peter and Paul!

 

I see you pulling dog fleas

And snags off heavy coats.

 

I see you loving them, 

Standing in full moon.

Dogs by your side, 

Running wild with laughter.

 

Estelle L. Roberge 7/17/2019

 

 

 

 

Here is my Mrs. Allen memory;

 

I don’t remember the whole situation, or what time of day it was (lunch or after school) but at one point me and another unnamed student, maybe two… talked Mrs. Allen into going to “see something cool” with us. It was right down the road from the school. So she and this other student and I hop into the Ford Bronco that I drove at the time and went for a spin. What she didn’t know is that down the street by where the Martin family lived there is a huge bump in the road, that if you go fast enough turns into a ramp. I’m pretty sure she wanted to kill me, but she was laughing way too hard to do that…

 

I also appreciate very much the memory books that she had us make in high school. Still a treasure for me to look through and without it as an assignment from her I would have never created it.

 

Grateful for the mark she left on my life.

 

Kayla

Kayla Kersey