Diana Karan Unterspan

Diana Karan Unterspan was born in Glen Cove, New York and died in the early hours of March 12. She had suffered a long illness for which she had difficulty finding proper care despite almost Herculean efforts. She leaves behind two daughters, three grandchildren, a beloved husband and best friend, and the sweetest cat, Lily. Diana was a passionate woman who threw all her energy into whatever she took on. She moved to Denver, Colorado in 1972 where she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Colorado Women’s College in art history and botany and later obtained a graduate degree from the University of Colorado. In Denver she was a classroom teacher, a school psychologist for Headstart, a co-leader of a program for abused children with severe behavior problems, and a faculty member at the University of Colorado Medical School where she provided psychotherapy and supervised graduate students. Diana moved to Montgomery, Alabama in 1993, and set several goals for herself, all of which she met. She established a thriving private practice for children and families and wrote regularly about child development for Parenting Magazine. She also developed an empowerment group for at-risk girls to help them stay in school, avoid early pregnancy, and set goals for themselves. The young women she worked with taught her much about the pain of being a child in an exploitative, discouraging environment. But most importantly to her, she volunteered three years to bringing Temple Beth Or’s fading, disused library to the jewel it was meant to be. Her efforts not only included a bustling children’s library integrated with the religion school, but also made the library a resource for all Montgomery citizens. It became the first and only library in the South accredited by the Association of Jewish Libraries. After retiring and moving to Portland, Oregon in 2006, Diana set and met more long-term goals. She was an impassioned and popular docent at Portland’s Chinese Garden, volunteered in the public schools, and won prizes for fiber art all over the United States. Her fiber work was unique and involved taking wool directly from the lamb, cleaning it, carding it, dyeing it, and forming it into abstractions inspired by nature, her favorite books, Jewish traditions, and personal experience. She was a proud member of Art on Broadway, a Beaverton gallery. She also volunteered with Girls, Inc., a national girls’ empowerment program, but had to cut back her involvement as her illness became more debilitating. One of her proudest achievements was turning a bare yard into an Audubon Society Backyard habitat, certified at the platinum level. Her yard became an example of the integration of beautiful outdoor living space and an ecosystem supporting many species of native plants and animals. In her memory, contributions may be made to the Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society. On April 12, an informal memorial service will be held in her garden reflecting her values, love of nature, and devotion to leaving the world a bit better than she found it.