Diane Arlene Talbot
January 26, 1965 - October 26, 2023
Diane Arlene Talbot, age 58, passed away at her home in Northglenn, Colorado on October 26, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on January 26, 1965, in Provo, Utah, to the late Arlene and Cleone Talbot. Diane always lived her life on her own terms, and this was the path she followed in death as well. Following a two-year journey navigating a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, she chose to take advantage of Colorado’s death with dignity law. Her death was quiet, painless, and peaceful, drifting off to sleep as she listened to some of her favorite songs.
Diane leaves behind her devoted husband, John Barnes, and her five children Orion, Aimee, Sarah, Stephen, and Joanna. She is also survived by her grandchildren Alex, Gage, Lily, and Asher, as well as her siblings Margaret, Mark, and Paul. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers David, Kent, and Morgan.
Everyone who knew Diane was aware of her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world. She was a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and a member of the group Mama Dragons. Whether she was providing resources for other educators, protesting at the state capitol, or cheering from the sidelines of the local pride parade, Diane was never afraid to cause good trouble. Throughout her illness, she spoke openly about the corruption of the insurance industry and the challenges she faced accessing care. Despite these hardships, her family’s support and dedication to providing in-home care allowed her to enjoy her remaining years to the fullest.
Diane spent the first part of her adulthood as a stay-at-home mother, then found her passion in the education field in her 30s. For 15 years, she worked as an art teacher, special education teacher, and learning specialist in various schools throughout the Denver metro area. In 2019, she achieved her dream of launching her own business, Spiral Skills Tutoring. She provided individualized instruction for children struggling with learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dysgraphia. She specialized in supporting Twice Exceptional children and providing affirmation and support for LGBTQ+ students.
Throughout her illness, she dedicated time to continuing education and kept her teaching license current. She spoke at conferences via Zoom and provided online tutoring to a limited number of students as her health allowed. Even during hospital stays and emergency room visits, she took the time to give advice to nurses whose children were struggling in school. She will be remembered by the many students and families whose lives she touched during her remarkable career.
Diane was committed to continuous growth and learning, earning multiple degrees throughout her life. She earned an Associate of Applied Science in Drafting and Design Technology from Utah Valley University in 1986, maintaining her studies throughout her pregnancy and the birth of her first child. In 2006, she graduated summa cum laude from The University of Colorado in Denver, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture. In 2010, she received her Special Education Licensure from the Teacher Institute of La Academia. She earned a certificate as a math interventionist from Adams State University in 2014. In 2018, she fulfilled a long-held dream and received a Master of Arts in Education from Western State Colorado University as a Reading Specialist, where she focused on culturally and linguistically diverse education. She was also certified in the Orton Gillingham Method of teaching phonics at the Associate level, which required 60 hours of classes and 100 hours of practicum. She was invited to speak at multiple Orton Gillingham conferences in the last years of her life.
Diane loved art — making it, sharing it, seeing what others had done, supporting and discussing it. She was an early adopter in the process of bringing together the online craft community. Long before there was a world wide web, she was a moderator for the Crafts forum on the old CompuServe bulletin board, bringing many thousands of craftspeople together. She experimented with book and paper making, various kinds of painting, jewelry making, and more. Eventually she chose to explore sculpture in depth, especially metal casting, beginning with bronze and working into iron, traveling to cast-metal conferences in multiple states with her art school classmates. Her professors described her BFA senior show, a collection of sculptures in multiple materials ranging from wax and papier-mache to iron, bronze, and aluminum, as one of the finest they had seen from a student.
For a decade after her graduation, she was a regular at many gallery shows around town, seeing the new work of fellow artists and offering support and encouragement, curating as guest and regular at coffee house galleries, and occasionally displaying some of her own work. She rarely missed a First Friday. While she pursued her career in education, she found her second niche making ceramics at the Clay Art Pottery Co-Op in Louisville, Colorado, becoming an expert at glazing and constantly improving her throwing skills. Even as her illness began to interfere with her ability to work with clay, with the help of her friends, children, and grandchildren she was able to contribute to many pieces, developing her personal “galaxy” style in glazing. In the last months of her illness, she worked with her son to make special table vases for his wedding. When she became confined to her couch for the most part, even with only months to go, she took up embroidery and completed several subtle, almost painting-like pieces that her family will cherish. You simply couldn’t keep Diane away from art.
She was also serious about yoga, impressed the neighbors with her garden and her guests with her cooking, spent many hours teaching an immense variety of skills to her grandchildren, and as late as the last two weeks of her life, walked two miles in a nearby park most mornings. She took time for her life — but she never wasted it.
A public celebration of her life will be held in early 2024, schedule and location to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, she requested contributions in her honor be made to The International Dyslexia Association, The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As a lifelong advocate of literacy and a sufferer of both diseases, it was her wish that loved ones would help fund research and provide support for others affected by these conditions.
Diane was not a religious woman and did not believe in any particular vision of the afterlife. Whether or not there is a life after this, she would want all of us to keep her alive and present in this world by carrying her spirit with us. It is her family’s wish that everyone who knew Diane try to live by her example: by dedicating our lives to helping others, by speaking up in the face of injustice, and by maintaining a sense of playfulness and joy in all that we do. As long as we keep her memory alive, she will never truly be gone.
Celebration of Life
Saturday, March 2nd, 2024
1-5 PM
Unity on the Avenue Spiritual Center
4670 E 17th Ave Pkwy
Denver, CO 80220, United States
Join us on Saturday, March 2nd for a celebration of Diane Talbot's life. Friends, family, and colleagues are encouraged to gather to share their memories of her and honor her. Please feel free to drop in to pay your respects as you are able.
If you would like to speak at the service, please email orionjayrodriguez@gmail.com. We will also leave time for those who feel moved to say a few words on the day itself. (We ask that all remarks be limited to 2-3 minutes.)
Schedule:
1pm: Doors open, time for visiting
2-3pm: Memorial service
3-4pm: Refreshments
Guests are encouraged to share this invitation with those who knew Diane.
Make a Donation
In lieu of flowers (Diane already had an abundance of flowers during a false alarm last month, and loved them),
please consider donations to:
International Dyslexia Association
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Photo Gallery
