Diane Anderson

1932 - 2021

Diane P. Anderson

Diane (Di) Paulhamus Anderson, a lifelong resident of Piedmont, passed away at her St. Helena home on February 24 after a short illness. Di was 88.

Above all, Di was a loving wife, devoted mother and grandmother and an exceptionally generous friend. Invariably, she was the first to reach out to a family member or to one of her countless friends if they were in any sort of need. It is remarkable how many of Di's friendships extended through two, three and more generations of families.

Di was also a forceful presence, getting what she felt best for those close to her. She was always in charge in the most positive of ways and very little got past Di. As would be expected, Di had creative control of this, her final tribute.

Di was born June 3, 1932 in Seattle to Dwight Randolph Paulhamus and Eleanor Jackson Paulhamus. Di hailed from a pioneering Puyallup Valley family that was among the founders of the Washington State Fair. Her paternal grandfather, W.H. Paulhamus was a Washington state senator.

As a child, Di and her family moved to Piedmont where she would reside for the rest of her life. It was at Piedmont High School, class of 1950, where she started dating her future husband, Jack Blair Anderson.

Di attended the University of Arizona and was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. Returning to the Bay Area, Di started working in the personnel department for Kaiser Corporation, and resumed her romance with Jack.

Di and Jack were married February 11, 1956 and enjoyed a love affair for the following 62 years. Their three children, Ellin, John and Michael were raised in Piedmont and attended public schools there. Jack passed away in 2018.

For nearly 40 years, Di and Jack split their time between Piedmont and St. Helena. In addition to allowing Di an additional home to decorate, St. Helena gave her the opportunity to extend her circle of friends to the wine country. A consummate entertainer, Di was known for countless parties, most notably her black tie Christmas Eve celebration in Piedmont and New Year's Eve luncheon in St. Helena.

Di's sense of taste and style extended from her homes to her personal fashion. She knew what she liked to wear and carried it off with the gracious assertiveness that exemplified her life. Few, if any women, could rock leopard prints, leather pants and boots until their passing at age 88.

Di and Jack traveled the world with their family and friends. This included joining Jack on his favorite fishing trip to the wilds of British Columbia, where Di not only caught salmon, but looked marvelous doing so. Her travels invariably took Di back to the places she loved most, including Lake Tahoe. There was no better moment than to be with Di at Tahoe during "mauve time" with your favorite cocktail.

Late in life, Di developed a taste for premium tequila, which she drank by the shot to the refrain, "Arriba, Abajo, Al Centro, Pa'dentro." For obvious reasons, this ritual endeared Di to a new generation of younger fans.

Di was incapable of sitting still. Mostly, she channeled her considerable energy helping her family and friends, but also made time for various entrepreneurial pursuits including hosting art shows and running a catering business. Catering proved challenging as most guests preferred being in the kitchen with Di where the real party was happening.

Di recalled visiting the famous Rancho La Puerta Spa some 55 times, embarrassing scores of much younger women with her fitness as she dragged them up and down the mountains of Baja, California.

She was predeceased by her husband, Jack, her sister, Sue Cameron Kilmer, and her daughter-in-law, Jill Waggener Anderson.

Di is survived by her children, Ellin Anderson Purdom (Ned), John Blair Anderson (Liz) and Michael Dwight Anderson; her grandchildren, Ted Purdom (Lluisa), Charlie Purdom, Jack Anderson, Caroline Anderson; and great granddaughter Apol•lónia Purdom Escandell. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Ellin Firth and Barbara Anderson, nieces Catherine Hughes and Elizabeth Simonetti; and grandniece Jane Simonetti and grandnephew Peter Simonetti.

A celebration of Di's life will be planned for a later date when it's safe to honor her in the way she deserves.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to GeorgeMark Children's House (georgemark.org) or the UCDavis MIND Institute (health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/).