Diane Cheryl Austin

Diane Cheryl Austin Diane was born November 30, 1967, at Deaconess Hospital in Wenatchee, WA, to Johnnie Richard Austin and Lois Jean Lawson. A daddy's girl, Diane was Johnnie’s second child, and always “looked up” to her big brother, Richard Austin. After her Dad remarried, Diane became a big sister to Jennifer Austin and Suzanne Austin. Diane loved helping her Dad in his apple and cherry orchards in Rock Island. She went through the Wenatchee school district with the class of 1986. The same year her mother married her long-time friend, Salvador Barriga, and Diane’s family grew to include a stepbrother, Sal Barriga, and stepsister, Tanya Barriga. Diane's son, Kody Gene Austin, was born January 12, 1998, and she thoroughly enjoyed being a single mom, until she was reacquainted with the love of her life, Donald Ray Dodge, in September 2002. Diane instantly accepted Donald‘s two children Owen Ray Dodge and Meagahnn May Dodge as her own, when Meagahnn was just two years old. Diane shared her love of the outdoors with Donald and the children regularly. They often went camping in the mountains, RC car racing at Douglas County Park, or fishing in the Rock Island ponds near her Dad’s property. For 21 years, Diane was a daycare provider in the greater Cashmere area. She loved children and spent countless hours nurturing and teaching them, everything from potty training to pre-kindergarten academics. But mostly Diane enjoyed doing various projects with the children, like puzzles or encouraging them to make things, always keeping them busy. Diane closed her daycare in 2018 after her stepdad had a terrible accident which left him quadriplegic. While helping her mom care for her stepdad, Papo, she also worked at various mini marts in Peshastin and Cashmere, making sure to be quite the personality to everyone she met. Diane enjoyed being with family and friends and was a huge fan of the Wenatchee Wilds Hockey team. She had a great sense of humor and always had a smile on her face. Diane had a huge heart and loved helping others. Diane was forced to quit working at the age of 54 when she abruptly found out that she had brain cancer. Diane fought the good fight and went home to be with Jesus on October 11, 2023. She will be deeply missed by her family & friends. Diane is pre-deceased by her two of the most important people in her life, her Dad, Johnnie Austin, and daughter, Meagahnn Dodge. She never forgot them, frequently sharing stories and memories of both Johnnie and Meagahnn.

Diane Cheryl Austin

November 30, 1967 - October 11, 2023