Dianne Rae Russell, 66, of Richland, Washington, died December 18 at The Chaplaincy’s Hospice House in Kennewick. 

Dianne was born June 30, 1948 in Pasco, Washington, the daughter of Charles and Hilda Russell.  Dianne attended elementary and high school in Richland where she excelled in athletics, particularly tennis.  After graduating from Central Washington University, Dianne spent some 20 years teaching in Alaska where she twice took her Driver’s Education students to national competitions. She fully embraced life on the frontier: fishing, hunting, and practicing traditional native crafts such as ivory carving and making fur-lined winter gear.  Dianne was allowed the honor of joining a whaling expedition, an event in which non-natives are rarely included.

Dianne returned to the Tri-Cities in retirement and took up a new occupation as a vineyard owner and hands-on wine grape grower providing premium merlots and muscats from Russell Vineyard to vintners throughout eastern Washington.  She also engaged in community activities as a member of both the Auxiliaries of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.  Dianne was also a member of the Tri-City Wine club, a group of wine enthusiasts whose interests included tasting local vintages as well as making and sharing their own wines. 

Dianne will be remembered by those who knew her for her unquenchable curiosity, boundless energy, and love of life, evervescent personality, and delightful sense of humor, kindness, generosity, determination, sociability, and hard work.  

Dianne is survived by her siblings, Linda Mae Russell, West Richland; Charles Alden Russell and his wife, Marcella (Mike) Russell, Richland; nieces, Charlene Russell, Richland; Darlene Russell Neuherz and her husband, Greg, Pullman; Lisa Jacob, Sandy, Oregon; and wife, Joan Morgan, Burien, Washington.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Everett and Hilda Mae Cottam Russell and sister, Marlene Russell Kallioinen.

A celebration of Dianne’s life will be held Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the VFW Hall, 1639 George Washington Way in Richland from 2:00pm-4:00pm.