TRIBUTE TO DIANE

Diane’s Story
My deepest gratitude and thanks to you all for your support, prayers and good wishes.
I thank God for Diane. Three words summed up Diane’s character. Honest, Caring and Generous.
Her honesty showed in many ways. Open about her feelings, never to take an unfair advantage and always striving to get to the bottom of other people’s motives, especially mine.
Even when her work was mundane and impersonal, she would befriend and help those for whom she worked. For example, many of the residents at Midwinter Gardens, where she was a cleaner, enjoyed her help and friendship.
Diane’s special abilities and delights were in caring for babies and young children. (She did a wonderful job with Andrew). Even in her last few years she had a soft spot for youngsters.
She was ever willing to help those in need. Always generous with money and a great supporter of the village chapel at Appleton in Oxfordshire.
Although struggling with a low self-image made her reticent to make new friends, and although at times feisty and stubborn, she was fiercely loyal to her friends, especially if they were in any kind of trouble. After a friend lost her husband, Diane sat by the window every morning for weeks and waved to her as she went past on the way to work.
Diane enjoyed shopping for clothes with her friend Margaret and on one occasion in the Marks & Spencers changing room she became stuck in a dress, which was too small for her and needed Margaret’s help to remove it. This prompted jokes about her weight.
Diane loved her day trips into the countryside, nothing was better than a gateway into a field with a view and a quiet picnic, with the occasional bird of prey, deer or hare as a bonus.
The dementia first showed itself in a struggle to find familiar words, losing the ability to read and write and also to perform everyday tasks like using the washing machine, and thinking back there was an amusing incident when she was at the local garden centre café, Diane poured milk into the teapot.
During her last year she stopped eating and towards the end could only take thickened liquids such as custard. This resulted in a dramatic loss of weight and also the loss of the use of her legs.
Even when significantly confused and disabled by the cruel dementia Diane still showed concern for anyone who was in any kind of distress. As late as two weeks before her death, when she was hoisted from her bed into her recliner chair for a tea party, she held out her hand to residents she knew.
Diane was fondly loved by the staff at Kings Court Care Centre where she spent the final 18 months of her life. Nothing was too much trouble to make her life the best it could possibly be. They really got to know her needs and the love and care shown to Diane was often over and above the call of duty. The staff always listened to our concerns and were professional, friendly and helpful. Everyone, from Managers to Care-workers, Nurses, Activities Organisers, Chef, Cleaners, Maintenance! All were so good to us, not to mention visiting GPs and agencies.
Right to the end Diane recognised me and showed this by a smile, although her smiles became less and less obvious to a casual observer.
She is now, “absent from this body and present with her Lord” whom she loved.