Diane Dawson Haskell

1951 - 2022

Diane Dawson Haskell
October 11, 1951 - September 2, 2022
September 2, 2022, was a particularly busy day in the fall of last year. Tomatoes bouncing out of trucks colored the roads with their signature red. The sure sign harvest was in full swing. The train horns were unusually loud that Friday. It was as if they were heralding the arrival of angels or announcing the coming departure of our dearly loved Diane. She left us that evening, peaceful and serene.

Diane Theresa Dawson was born on October 11, 1951, to Richard and Lois Ann Dawson nee Felder at March Air force Base in Riverside, CA. While living on the base she received the first of her many nicknames, Gooney Bird, named after the Douglas C-47 military aircraft. Diane and Chrissy Meska played in the wading pool as babies while their moms, Lois, and Mary Meska, sewed clothes and shared family stories.

In 1961 the Dawson family moved to the Country Club in West Sonoma County. Being a big sister in those days meant caring for the younger siblings and for Diane it meant taking care of "the little girls" Stacey and Carrie. For years, with her best friend Melanie Landree, they took care of their little sisters, calling each other for support and commiserating about the daily mishaps. After graduation from Ursuline High School and Santa Rosa Junior College she moved to San Jose, CA where she met her husband Stephen Haskell at San Jose State College.

After completion of college, Steve and Diane moved to Sloughouse, CA and worked on Rooney Farms, the family ranch growing hops. They married in 1977. When Steves work took them to Woodland they moved to the Howard Ranch and for years lived surrounded by fields of corn and tomatoes. In three separate homes, Ed and Hazel Howard in one, Diane and Steve in other and in a pink trailer by the barn lived 8-year-old Aaron Cary and his mother who immediately became part of the family. And so began a lifetime of contribution, long hours, deep friendships and connections with families and friends of those involved in growing crops in the Sacramento Valley.

Di, Big D or My Diane was an excellent cook. She and Steve hosted countless family gatherings, parties and picnics on the lawn at the ranch. It was the stop of many a fieldman and farmer in need of a break. Shade in the summer heat was provided by Tony and Donna Howard whose hopper trailers parked just right could cast a long shadow providing respite from the sun. The original farm to table dining experience was a sheet of plywood on the tailgate for one end and a barrel for the other end.

After a move into town and the devastating loss of her husband in 2007, Diane retired in 2010 after 30 years with Woodland Unified School District. Called Mrs. H by her students, she had a keen sense of a troubled student who needed extra attention or kind words. She spent her years in retirement pursuing a quieter life, reading a book a week, spoiling her cherished German Shepard Gracie and the three feral cats who adopted her.

Diane drove a very small car and every afternoon she and Gracie took a drive. Diane knew every alley in Woodland and all the country roads with little traffic. Gracie was so big and Diane's car so small she rode in the back seat with her head out one window and her tail out the other sharing Fritos while cruising around and stopping for walks.

A kind gentle soul with a mischievous dry sense of humor, Diane had long brown hair, beautiful brown eyes and immediate warmth that made everyone feel welcome. Her door was always open. Literally. She did not lock,it which we knew, but we did not realize, she long ago lost the key and didn't bother to get a new one. We searched for two weeks after she passed and finally had to call the locksmith.

If anyone needed help of any kind Diane was quick to respond. And you better not try to decline. She was as compassionate as she was funny. She rooted for people and encouraged them. She did things her way with an unwavering determination to face life's challenges.

In her last year with us and through her unexpected rapid decline last fall Diane's aides become more than caregivers, they were her friends. She formed deep connections with each one. Alma Morales, loving and steadfast in Diane's daily routine and Tammran Fleming and Theresa who met each night with commitment and humor.

Otilia Hidrogo, dear friend of 30 years, sat with Diane every evening, bringing her homemade soups, and having lighthearted disagreements over who ate the cookies. Elisa Hidrogo and family who faithfully stepped up in every way for Tia Di. Marco, Margarita and Angel Garcia, next door neighbors never left Diane's side lending Marco's contractor expertise in all things homeowner. Aaron Cary and Tabetha visited Diane every Monday.

Together with family, they were all with her the evening she passed. The unspoken commitment and affection they had for Diane and Diane for them made possible her only wish, that she stay home and be home, when she "crossed over." We are deeply grateful she is free of the muscular degenerative disease that kept her in a wheelchair.

Diane is survived by her sister Stacey Dawson Egger, husband Steve and faithful niece and nephew Ellen and Mason Thomsen. Sister Carrie Dawson Buratto and family, God son Aaron Cary Jr. and his daughter Tabetha. Sisters-in-law Patricia Dorsa, Meg Thuman and Leslie Speed, The Felder Family, cousin Saralynn and Mike Benzon and family, cousin Sara and Dale Folkins and family, Doug Fleming and family and longtime friends, Melanie Landree Mathews and Cindy Allekna.

A special thank you to Cousin Sandy and Bill Morgantini and family for always checking in, sharing memories and and laughs recounting the hijinks of the three cousins Sandy, Saralynn, and Diane. A special thank you to Auntie Jeanette Hope and family for the phone calls sending hugs and kisses.

Diane is predeceased by her husband, Stephen Clyde Haskell, her Father Richard Dawson, her Mother Lois Dawson, and her brother-in-law Joseph Buratto.

Continue to watch over us dear Diane, your students and your cherished German Shepards. When we cross over, we know you will be waiting. And when we hear a train in the distance coming closer, we will stop and smile and be filled with memories of you.

As Diane requested, we respected her wishes after passing remain private.