Searching for words to express this profound loss is a daunting task. Aunt Diane had such a mighty spirit and I felt it even as a small child. She was gregarious, charming, generous, and hysterically funny. She could tell the greatest stories! To this day I remember belly-laughing as she related some outrageous tale. I thought my cousins Becky and Cathy were so lucky that she was their mom. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of West Point and seeing Aunt Diane and Uncle Fred and our cousins....afternoons spent playing in the backyard, or in that fantastic sandbox, or stomping through the "branch",  or heading down to the backwater for the weekend, or just visiting in the living room. The practice of "visiting" is a true southern art form and Aunt Diane perfected it. She was a true steel magnolia. We have reached the end of an era now with her passing but the special memories that we all have will keep her spirit alive and with us for a very long time. I hope that her legacy will inspire future generations of her family to be as sure of their place in the world as she was of hers.