Diane Elizabeth
(Emanuels) Johnson
February 9, 1960 – May 12, 2015
Diane was born in Olympia, WA, the middle of three children of Don and Barbara Emanuels.
She was raised in Bellevue, WA and graduated at the top of her class from Bellevue High School in 1978. She began many lifelong friendships and hobbies while in high school, becoming an accomplished seamstress and expert classical and Spanish flamenco guitarist and instructor.
Diane attended Northwestern University, but later transferred to and received a BA in Business Administration, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Washington in 1985. She supported herself throughout high school and college working numerous jobs. In the spring of 1982, Diane traveled to Aix-en-Provence, France, where she developed a lifelong love of the French language and culture, while spending six months studying at a French university and traveling all over Europe. After returning to UW, she began working as an intern at IBM where, upon graduation, she was hired as a marketing representative, first in IBM’s Olympia, WA branch and later in Seattle, where she bought her first home. She later worked for Baxter Healthcare and Microsoft, before “retiring” to raise a family full time.
On October 6, 1990, Diane married Kirk Alan Johnson, a Bellevue High School classmate with whom she reconnected while they were both young professionals. They began their married life in Kirkland, WA before buying a home in Bellevue. They moved to Mercer Island, WA in 1996 where she lived the remainder of her life while raising her growing family. Diane and Kirk eventually had four wonderful children together, and Diane became a prolific and revered volunteer in her kids’ schools and activities. She served as PTA President at both West Mercer Elementary and Mercer Island High School, in addition to serving on numerous committees. Her commitment to her children and her community was legendary and highly respected and appreciated by all who knew her and the many others who benefited from her generous service. In spite of her busy family and community life, she found time to cultivate her many friendships and hobbies including beading, cooking, rowing and entertaining and even became a Master Gardner. Diane loved animals and even during her illness she continued as a frequent foster parent to numerous animals and stray and rescued cats.
Diane, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer in April of 2014 and battled valiantly until the end, inspiring all who knew her with her determination, honesty and humor in the face of adversity. Her family wishes to thank Dr. Renato Martins, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the University of Washington Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital for the compassionate and professional care she received.
Diane is survived by her husband of nearly 25 years, Kirk Johnson, and their four children, Cole (23), Blake (21), Isabelle (16) and Luke (14); her sister Carol (John) Caputo of Mercer Island, WA and their children Cathy, Dan and Lauren Caputo; brother Brian (Anne) Emanuels, also of Mercer Island, and their children Ben, Alex, Davidson and Griffin Emanuels; her in-laws Dick and Marol Johnson of Seattle, WA; and her four beloved cats and golden retriever Daisy. Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Don and Barbara Emanuels.
A celebration of Diane’s life will be held on Thursday, May 21, at 1:00pm at the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church (3605 84th Ave SE), with a reception following.
At Diane’s request, remembrances can be made to The Humane Society for Seattle/King County at 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98005 or online at www.SeattleHumane.org.
