Diane Paetzke Crippe

Diane left us on April 13, 2014 at the age of 80. She was born as a twin on January 23, 1934 in Seattle Washington to August and Gretchen Paetzke.

Diane began life as a two pound seven ounce incubator baby fed by means of an eye-dropper. Her twin brother Donald died shortly after birth. Diane was the youngest of three children, the oldest , Fred was followed by her brother Dick (Adriana) who survives her. They were all raised together in the then rural Haller Lake area, which wasn't annexed to North Seattle until after Diane graduated from Lincoln High School in 1952.

Diane grew up in the midst of a large garden and orchard among chickens, a cow, pigeons, turkeys, a goat, dogs and several rescued cats she cherished. She met David Crippe at Zion Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA where they married immediately after her high school graduation. Over the next five years Dave and Diane became the happy parents of four children.

Diane was the beloved mother of Steven (Katherine) Crippe, Susan Hatfield, Carolyn (Donald) Johnson and Dean (Susan) Crippe , as well as the proud grandmother of Kevin and Adam Hatfield, Brian Crippe and Stephanie (Curtis) Nyhus, Clayton, Kristen and Jonathan Turner and great grandmother of James Bruce, Tollian and Ronin Nyhus. She also enjoyed a loving special relationship with her former daughter-in-law, Catherine (Kevin) Ruoff.

Her children’s favorite memories are of her being at home when they returned from school, and the home cooked meals and compassion and love she provided. As their children got older, Diane enjoyed spending time at the local knit shop visiting with her neighbors and friends. She and Dave lived in the Bellevue area until Dave retired from the Bellevue Fire Department and they began traveling as snowbirds to Nevada and other areas. She and Dave were frequent visitors to the Tri-Cities and Alaska to visit their children.

Diane's great loves were her family, traveling with her husband, Elvis Presley and collecting hippos. Diane was preceded in death by her husband David, her parents August and Gretchen Paetzke, her brother, Fred and son-in-law, Bill Hatfield. All of us who remain behind will miss her endlessly.

A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 1215 145th Place SE, Bellevue WA. Arrangements under the direction of Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Bellevue, WA.