November 30, 1954 - December 1, 2021
Diane Roberta Dixon French was born November 30, 1954, to parents Robert and Teresa (Manzitto) Dixon. After a valiant sixteen-month battle with heart disease, she joined her Lord and Savior in Heaven December 1st. She leaves behind her husband of 38 years, Victor French, her siblings Elaine Dixon-Ugarkovich (William), Kevin Dixon (Sue) and Keith Dixon, and nephew Steven Ugarkovich.
Diane was raised in Thornton and graduated from Galt High School in 1972. While attending Delta College she began work in retail, a job that fit her social personality. She earned her degree in public administration from Sacramento State and began work with San Joaquin County. She went on to earn her Master’s in Education from National University.
Diane and Victor met through friends and developed a close affection for each other that led to their marriage in May of 1983. They enjoyed travelling together, going to plays and musicals, being near the ocean and visiting various historic sites. They had a mutually encouraging relationship, which allowed them to explore their individual interests, together and separately. Victor cherished Diane, will miss her and looks forward to being with her again in the presence of the Lord.
Diane’s hobbies included creating cross-stitch samplers and quilts. She even sewed her own wedding dress. She was an avid collector of antique quilts and made several trips to Pennsylvania and Indiana, which connected her with a network of Amish quilters. She made friends that included all walks of her life, and many were lucky to be gifted a sampler, a quilt or a jar of her famous Christmas jam. She described her journey as a quilter in her book “The Stepping Stone Quilt – My Journey through Quilting”, which she wrote this past year. Her quilting mantra, taken from the Amish, was “Done is better than Perfect”.
Diane spent most of her thirty one year career teaching students at numerous elementary schools within Lodi Unified School District. She was a devoted teacher, who was well loved and respected by her students, parents, and staff at all levels of the district. She mentored a number of student teachers, was a lead teacher for district staff development, a mentor teacher, Peer Assistant and Review Coach for underperforming teachers and a teacher-trainer in the county’s Impact Intern Program. After retirement from LUSD, she worked with student teachers at UOP’s School of Education. Her expertise in curriculum emphasized the importance of immersing students in their learning experiences.
Diane’s passion for teaching Christian education evolved from being a youth director at Lincoln Presbyterian to working in curriculum development for Stockton First Baptist. For many years she was a group leader in Bible Study Fellowship. She also led many other Bible studies including one at the Women’s Shelter. Diane organized and led several weekend Biblical retreats teaching God’s word and how to apply it to everyday life. During her recovery, this past summer, her deep faith led her to write Daily Devotionals which have been published by Lincoln Presbyterian Church. Her devotion to her faith led her to conduct Bible studies on her patio while she was still recovering.
Diane felt peace and tranquility while overlooking the ocean. She and Victor traveled to both coasts, took a number of cruises and they often spent weeks at Sea Ranch, CA. She would bring her sewing machine and stitch while watching the surf. Their home is decorated with quilts and items from the sea.
Though the past few months were arduous and painful, Diane approached each new day as a blessing from God. She remained positive and cheerful until her heart finally gave out. She was an exemplary Christian who lived her life full of love for others. Her impact will be felt by many for years to come.
SERVICES:
A memorial service for planned for Diane will be held on January 14th, 2022 at 2:00pm located at GracePoint Church in Lodi, CA. (gracepointlodi.com/memorial-services)
Please make donations to the organization of your choice in Diane’s memory.
Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the French family.
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