Diana Lola Caple

Diana passed away peacefully at her home in La Conner.

She was born to Les and Lola Blume on Nov. 28, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. She was the oldest of six children and her early years were spent in ­Baudette, Minnesota, and Rapid City, South Dakota. She excelled in her studies, both in high school and at Seattle Pacific ­University, where she earned a BA in English literature and an MA in special education.

Peter Norman Caple became her husband on Feb. 21, 1963.

Diana's educational career included high school teaching, counseling and 12 years as principal of a re-entry program for dropouts in the Renton School District. Diana was a consultant to other school districts on dropout prevention, taught graduate classes to teachers at Seattle Pacific University and pioneered alternate programs for at-risk youth. She was honored by the governor of Washington state in 1988 for her achievement and student improvement, and received a 21st Century Award by the King County Economic Development Council.

Diana was a member of Washington Alternative ­Learning Association, St. Andrew's ­Presbyterian Church in Renton, and the Shelter Bay Yacht Club in La Conner.

In the 1990s, Pete and Diana spent many summers cruising the San Juan Islands and the Gulf Islands in Canada. Travels also included winters in Tucson, Arizona, where Pete and Diana enjoyed hiking many of the Arizona deserts and mountain ranges in later years.

Diana returned to her love of writing and publishing poems and stories in the local newspapers. Also, her two books, "Under the Rainbow Bridge" and "Over the Rainbow Bridge," can be ordered at all book stores, worldwide and locally at Village Books in Fairhaven.

Diana is survived by her loving husband Pete of 62 years; her two daughters, Susan Walker and Sharon Caple; and her two precious grandchildren, Sam and Devon.

A special thanks go out to the wonderful team at Hospice Northwest and our fantastic neighbors.