Diane Elaine Josties Thompson, 79, of Amarillo, Texas died on Saturday, September 14, 2019.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, September 19, 2019 at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, located at 3500 S. Bowie, with Pastors Wendi Gordon and Steve Brauner officiating. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Interment will be at a later date at Mountain View Funeral
Home in Lakewood, Washington.
Diane was born April 7, 1940 in Tacoma, Washington to Harry and Martha Josties. Diane was baptized on September 29, 1940 and confirmed on May 23, 1954. Diane graduated from Lincoln High School in 1958, and she married Dale Thompson in 1960. She began pursuing her nursing degree at Northwest Texas Hospital School of Nursing and received her RN certification. In 1970 she was awarded the Kappa Theta Phi Pin, recognizing her academic excellence. She extended her studies at West Texas State University and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree with a 4.0 grade point earning the distinguished achievement of the President’s Honor Roll in 1979. Due to her superior scholastic achievement while maintaining a balance between her family, schooling and work life, she was awarded recognition on the Dean’s Honor roll.
In 1988, she became nationally certified in nursing in Psychiatric and Mental Health. In 1992, Diane was named to the Council of State Boards of Nursing Panel of Item Reviewers headquartered in Chicago. She felt very honored to be selected as 1 of the 62 prestigious members of nurses across the country. In 2002, she received an award of appreciation from Northwest Texas Hospital for 32 years of dedication and caring for the mentally ill of the Texas Panhandle.
Diane was very active running in the park, exercising and lap swimming at the Amarillo Town Club. She loved camping, fly fishing in the Rockies, hiking in the Cascade Mountains and snow skiing in the winter. She loved to travel, especially to London, Paris, Hawaii as well as many trips throughout Canada- Toronto, Vancouver, Whistler and one of her favorite places, Victoria, where she celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with her family. She survived parasailing in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, she adventured on several Alaskan cruises, trips to the Caribbean and even travelled to China on two different trips where she was able to take part in the adoption of 2 of her granddaughters. Diane loved to travel but was a true farm girl at heart. Weekends for almost 40 years were spent nurturing a cow-calf operation in Western Oklahoma. She loved the farms and regularly commented that the farms were very therapeutic.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Larry Josties. Survivors include her husband, Dale, her three daughters, Carrie Thompson of Seattle, Washington, Colleen Thompson of Redmond, Washington and Christa Martin and her husband, Travis, of Austin, Texas, four granddaughters, Emme and Addie Thompson of Redmond, Washington and Ruby and June Martin of Austin, Texas, her sister, Beatrice Thyberg of Vancouver, Washington and many nieces and nephews.
