Diana “Diane” Pearl (McGraw) Arnold, 75, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 26, 2018 at McGraw Center, Mayo West Campus after her long, courageous battle with lung cancer. Diane was born on Valentine's Day, 1943 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and then lived near the new Pentagon where her Army Engineer father served. Postwar, the family lived in Chattanooga, Omaha, Houston, and Dayton. With her degree in education from Miami University (Ohio), Diane taught and coached at K-12 Dayton area schools while starting her family.
Relocating for her husband’s US Air Force assignments, Diane, John (Special Operations pilot), and daughters Lori and Lisa enjoyed beach, desert, mountain, and jungle military family life in CA, WA, FL, AR, Africa and the DC area until 9/11, when Diane lost friends and decided to retire.
Diane was a force of nature, able to juggle family, moving, and a career. With every move, she maximized her contribution to the community. While in Ft. Walton Beach, Diane set-up and ran recreation programs in the Cuban-Haitian Task-Force Marielitos Camp and took her programs to Ft. Smith, AR for HHS. As personnel officer and Ambassador's special projects officer at the American Embassy, Kinshasa, she helped the secret service on VP Bush's visit, led the TASOK School Board invigoration, and escorted Diplomatic Pouch material to Embassy N'Djamena, Chad during the Libyan crisis. While in Chad, she was trapped by a Haboob storm and took refuge with French Foreign Legion! Everywhere she lived, Diane rose to the top and became a leader.
Diane was funny, smart, fiercely protective of all those she loved, driven, sober, competitive, loyal, loving, loved, stubborn, classy, musical, a teacher and a leader. She was a good friend to many.
Diane is preceded in death by her parents C.C. (Mac) and Ruth McGraw and her brothers Charles, Lee, and Edwin. Diane is lovingly remembered by her husband of 44 years, John; two daughters, Lori (Preston) Garraghty of Bloomington, IN, and Lisa Garnjost of Burke, VA; and four grandchildren, Andrew Garnjost (20), Christopher Garnjost (18), EmmaLynn Garnjost (16), and Kendall Kelly (13).
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 3, 2018 with time to visit with the family from 10 a.m. until time of service and a reception to follow from noon until 2 p.m. all at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Diane to the Jones Academy Foundation (EIN 26-0084734) endowment, where all gifts will be matched by the Choctaw Nation.
