Diana Burkholder

Diana Dale Culbertson was born November 11, 1940, 11 minutes after her twin sister Dawn. Robert and Virginia Culbertson were happily surprised by the twins. Diana grew up with two other younger siblings, Bonny and Robert. She was raised in San Jose California in the city and then on a small prune farm with several animals. When she was nine, the family moved to Southern California. Her father passed away a year later from a cerebral hemorrhage. At 13 years old, Her mother remarried to John Cotton, a man who lovingly accepted the role as stepfather to Diana and her siblings.

Diana graduated from South Gate High School, and went on to study Home Economics and Childhood Education at Long Beach State, and finishing her undergraduate at UCLA. She later returned to Long Beach State to earn her Master's Degree in Home Economics. At 25, she began teaching Home Ec and Social Studies at Avalon High on Catalina Island. The following year she moved to Northern California and began teaching in Concord. There she met her future sister in law, Diane, who introduced Diana to her brother Relmond Burkholder.

After marriage, she moved to Ontario, Canada, then Michigan, and later Houston, TX where she began her own family. Her first born son, Clinton John Burkholder was born June 2, 1975. Her second born son, Craig Lauren Burkholder, who is the more handsome of the two, was born February 26, 1978. Once the boys began attending school, Diana began a part time career in Real Estate. After five years, she decided to return to her passion for teaching.

Her first five years back into teaching were spent improving an almost forgotten Special Ed program at her school into what would become a model for the entire district. Seeing the teen pregnancies and general dropout rate increasing in the 90's, Diana asked the district to give her the opportunity to develop a pre-exam GED program, and they agreed. She spent the rest of her teaching career in Texas helping hundreds of at risk students not only earn their GED, but also to believe in themselves after so many failures led them to her program.

In 1999, her husband died from complications related to several strokes, and she decided to return to California to finish her career while being closer to her aging parents and siblings. She enjoyed living in her house with Lemon, Cherry and Plum trees in her yard, only minutes from Clint and her grandchildren. After her parents passed, her sister Bonny, as well as Clint and his family moved to Fort Collins. She soon joined them, living in a vibrant independent living 55+ community. She spent her final years active in Fort Collins First United Methodist Church with their outreach programs serving Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank, Buckhorn Camp and Faith Family Hospitality.

Diana was someone who always concerned herself with the suffering of others and how she could help. She encouraged her sons to be kind and noble men, and adored all of her grandchildren. We will all miss her stories, her warm hugs, her bright smile and sense of humor.

A memorial service for Diana will be held at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins, CO on May 25th at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers or cards, we ask that donations in her name be made to Fort Collins First United Methodist Church @ https://www.firstchurchfc.org/ which will be split between the charities she worked with through their outreach programs.