Diane Laverne Valin passed away on November 11, 2022 (11/11- day of angels), surrounded by her entire family who loved her dearly, and her favorite music to send her off. She was 79 years old.
Diane was born in Oakland, CA on August 3, 1943 as an only child to Ted and Laverne Viramontes. She was the sunshine of their lives, and she enjoyed a childhood enveloped in love and support to follow her passions, like violin and competitive skating. She graduated from San Lorenzo High in 1961 and attended senior prom with her boyfriend, Roland Valin. Her friends wrote in her yearbook that they wished her and Roland a happy future together, not knowing that the couple were to marry a year later, then carry that wish through to their 60 th wedding anniversary in May of 2022.
Diane and Roland began their amazing journey as young parents to three children: Steve (Kelly) Valin, Julie Valin (Dan Hoagland), and Dena (Michael) Malakian. They moved their family to Nevada City, CA in 1974 where they have happily remained since, and where their children all returned to raise their own families. Being surrounded by her family and her grandchildren – Cooper and Riley Valin, Solina Hoagland, and Shayne Malakian – was Diane’s greatest source of joy.
Besides being devoted to her family, Diane spent many years as a teacher’s aide in special education (The Development Center and Reward School) and played a large role in integrating special needs children into public classrooms. Behind the scenes, she constantly demonstrated to her children the importance of being an encouraging mom and trusted friend to them. She endlessly showed them their endeavors have no bounds, creatively and professionally, by consistently being their #1 cheerleader and confidante. This is perhaps the biggest legacy she has passed on.
As parents, Diane and Roland were the greatest of role models, establishing a loving home filled with laughter, music and togetherness, and a constant display of being supportive partners to one another. Despite being so young when they married, they somehow understood the significance of a couple “growing together”, and Diane tended to that fearlessly, with never once taking her husband for granted. For her grandchildren, she taught them that a Nana can be cool, “hip,” understanding, supportive (attending all her grandchildren’s open houses and even her grandson’s heavy metal shows!) and fun to talk to – about anything! They each felt her love for them in droves.
As a wife, friend, mom, mother-in-law, and “Nina/Nana,” Diane was gifted in her ability to build the strongest of bonds and the most golden of memories, from start to finish. She was the sun at the center of all our lives.
In joyful remembrance of Diane, consider cheering loudly during a King’s game, enjoying a carnitas dinner with tiramisu for dessert, singing along to the next Santana song that comes on the radio, or making a donation to Bright Futures for Youth.
