Johnson, Diane M. 9/8/44 - 4/16/15 Diane Johnson passed away at home in Solana Beach, CA on April 16, 2015 from pancreatic cancer. She is survived by mother Marion; brother Shawn; sister-in-law Marie; nephews Hayden and Carver; niece Madeline; aunts and uncles Corliss and Ralph, Cliff, Colleen and Joyce and Al; her dog Scarlet; cats Jake and Maxine; and a lifetime's worth of grateful but heartbroken friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved father Roy. Diane was born in Cannon Falls, MN. With characteristic determination she pursued undergraduate studies at Macales-ter College and the University of Minnesota. While holding positions at the Crime Control Planning Board and the Human Subjects Committee at the U of M, Diane attended William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, and was admitted into the Minnesota Bar. Immediately following graduation, she became the first in-house counsel for St. Jude Medical, where she remained for her entire legal career. She retired at the age of 53 and moved to Solana Beach, CA to begin a new career as a full-time volunteer. In her new vocation, Diane devoted countless hours to the Helen Woodward Animal Rescue, Rancho Coastal Humane Society, Coastal German Shepherd Rescue, Make-A-Wish, Scripps Green Hospital and Hos-pice-By-The-Sea. A tireless worker, Diane was honored this past year by Rancho Coastal Humane Society as Volunteer of the Year. Diane was generous with her family, friends and animals. She was devoted to her mother and provided for her ongoing care. She was unmatched in her ability to nurture and maintain friendships. She formed lasting bonds with people she met at different stages of her life and drew them together. She held strong opinions and could always be counted on to offer an honest perspective, but treated all with respect and fairness. Diane's philanthropy included grants for animal rescue groups and funding for the medical care and surgeries for specific dogs. She traveled to New Orleans following Katrina to assist with homeless domestic pets. She gave voices to animals in need and told their stories eloquently. Diane had an adventurous spirit and zeal for travel. This took her from the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota to African safaris, dog sledding in Alaska and the Yukon, explorations of New Zealand, the Galapagos, Bhutan, Nepal, Trans-Siberian Railroad, Arctic National Wildlife Reserve and much of Europe and Asia. She loved jazz and the blues; female vocalists in particular. She enjoyed spending holidays with friends and adopted their children as her own. She was known as "Auntie Diane" to more than her niece and nephews. She was a proud and vocal liberal democrat. Diane faced her illness with the same strength and determination she exhibited throughout her life. Since her diagnosis 25 months ago she traveled extensively in the United States. She organized her final adventure, a trip with seven friends to Mexico, just weeks ago. She continued her volunteer activities until days before her passing. As requested, Diane's friends will scatter her ashes on a dog sledding expedition in northern Minnesota this coming winter. Memorials may be sent to animal welfare organizations of the donor's choice.