Diane Wallace Dunn Kahler

Good-bye, Mrs. K/Diane. My Girl Scout leader and my confidante. I could talk to her about things I couldn't talk to my own mom about. When my grandfather died, Mrs. K immediately offered to have my brother and I stay with them (we lived across the street) so that my parents could deal with everything and not worry about us. She introduced me to the world of backpacking and wilderness adventures. All those trips to the Borrego Desert and San Bernardino mountains, canoeing down the Colorado...

I don't even know where to begin. I am the woman I am today because of Diane. She was not only my Girl Scout leader for numerous years, but also my mentor. She would pile a bunch of junior high/high school girls in her station wagon and take us on outdoor trips. Because of her, I learned to backpack, canoe, snow ski, water ski and much more. I have continued to do all these activities, very passionately, even to this day. I remember being one of the youngest girls she took on a...