Dear Friend
We will miss you! 
Some thoughts from those who knew and loved you.
Dian was not only a mentor, a great teacher , the mother of the rule she was a wonderful friend. She was my children’s godmother. I think back over the last 24 years or so and realize that she has impacted my professional life and my personal life more than any one other person. We will miss her and cherish the memories we have. We are going to miss her laugh and her sense of humor most of all! Love you Dian, Laura Johnson and Allegra & Azaria Keys
I first read this from my phone and it literally sucked the air out of my lungs. When I could breathe again it seemed like classic Dian to me. A force so brilliant in the night sky like the stars above the log cabin retreat house we stayed in for our first meeting when Dian was President. I was not with her during her LPO fight, but she filled me in during late night gab sessions as to the fight that she undertook for the settlement agents in Washington. I knew of her sorrow when she had to relinquish the LPO years later to remain employed. So I am not shocked that upon her leaving this earthly home that the air was sucked out similar to that bright burning star that collapses upon itself to create a black hole, That pure energy that I know Dian was/is shall always remain in our hearts and the passage way home has been forged for us by Dian. May she find peace and comfort with those who have gone before and ready the place for us that follow. May God Bless her family and friends Michele Hartmangruber PP 1999-2000
I have always been impressed with Dian’s knowledge, dedication and her great sense of humor. She was going through the chairs during a crucial time in AEA’s development and was one of the big contributors to the success that we enjoy today. Her zeal and passion for our industry were remarkable. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Ken ScottWhat a wonderful woman Dian was. She was my mentor when I was going up the chairs at AEA. She always had time for me and enriched my life. I will cherish all the great memories. She will be missed! Joan Choice
I was terribly saddened to hear about Dian Maxwell. My heartfelt condolences to all of her family and close friends and the membership of the Washington Association. Dian was a special person. She was extremely knowledgeable, and she had a terrific sense of humor. she was especially nice to me when AEA was new and I was president and I visited the Washington conference for the first time. I thought so much of Dian and now we have lost another one of our dear past presidents. She will be sadly missed. Roberta Griener Gorc PP 1982-83
On rare occasion we meet another person that challenges you to think with a broader perspective, to work with a new commitment to excellence, and to simply be the best person you can be. When I met Dian, I met that person. We met in the early ‘80s at a time when I was just being introduced to the Escrow Association of Washington. Dian welcomed me to the fold–and of course immediately put me to work on the EAW Board! She encouraged me to help the group that was organizing the Greater Seattle Regional, and all of a sudden, I was the charter President. She encouraged me to run for office at AEA, and all of a sudden, I was the Treasurer. The memories just come flooding back—meetings, projects in her office after work, travel, and a little time for fun—memories I will treasure all my life.
Dian was a person of strong ideals and the will to stand up for them. Her dedication to raising professionalism in the escrow industry new no bounds. She made time to encourage new people and challenge them to learn and grow in the industry, and was always available to answer questions. She touched many lives, and will long be remembered as a leader, mentor, and pioneer in the escrow industry. I will remember her as my friend. Jan Grant
We have lost another outstanding leader of AEA and industry advocate. She will be missed. Neal Takeuchi
What a loss for us all and for our industry Pat Baldin
It certainly is with great sadness. When we were at conference I was thinking of the various retreats that I was lucky enough to attend and I was thinking back to both Dian’s. Kathy Alexander
She was EAW’s great lady of escrow. She was the “Mother of the Rule”. She worked tirelessly to upgrade our industry to a professional level. I had the very special privilege of working with Dian at all levels. We traveled together for a number of years at the AEA level along with Ms Dee. We shared many wonderful times and I always remained in awe of this special lady. Sharon Holman Evans
I am very saddened with the news but understand she went through years of suffering. I’m glad she is at peace. Suzanne Weadock-Metteer
She was fabulous – I feel honored to not only have known her but to have had her as my boss at one point. She will be truly missed. Cyndi Jacobson
What very sad news. Diane will always be the First Lady of Escrow to me. What a class act. I worked with her son Carlos and he adored her. I think EAW should honor her in whatever ways and at what ever opportunities arise, including putting all these emailed thoughts together in some book form for the family. She touched a lot of lives. Linda Ekstrand
Dian was a great lady and you’re right about her wonderful contributions to the Escrow Industry. I will miss her. She always gave me a big hug when I saw her. Jeanne Jones
I know that none of the Escrow Professionals that have joined our industry in the last 10 years probably do not know what Dian did for our industry, I am sadden by her passing, she was a great individual and inspiration to this individual. Terry McGrath
She was an icon and a giant in this industry and set the bar for all of us. Sabre Massey
I had the opportunity to work very closely with her for many years and she was not only a mentor but a great friend. She will be deeply missed. Patti Maddux
She will be missed. She was my first escrow instructor, in 1986 or 87. Phil Dryden
She was a great lady and a mentor to many. She has left a great legacy. Sue Fulfs
A FEW THOUGHTS ON DIAN MAXWELL
By Dee McComb
My electric toothbrush died the other day. Not the fancy ones in their own stand or anything, but the one that has the battery in it and wiggles back and forth rapidly. It was a significant event in my life at the time – and Dian would have laughed at me if she had been here. She always knew when my stress level had peaked because I would complain about the miss-alignment of two hole punches in the office, or how the paper supply should be maintained at night so it didn’t run out on my copy project or how – well, you get the picture. But she wasn’t here to laugh because she passed away this summer. Funny about the euphemistic terms we use for someone who has died – like “moved on to a better place” (how do we know – we haven’t been there yet!), or “crossed over” (again, a bridge? A river? A galaxy?), or “passed on” (like it was a card game and we missed the “home” box).
We do that because there is a hole in our lives that used to be a living breathing force. Dian was just such a force. There has been a lot written about her contribution to the settlement industry and the effect she has had on the escrow industry as a whole. She moved the Escrow Association from a closed organization to a regional concept – took the presidency again for another year because there wasn’t anyone else who qualified under the by-laws and led us to the open ground up process EAW is today. She placed a high value on education and commented that if she could make a good living just teaching, she would. She liked the instructional setting and reaching out to make people think.
Dian was a force du jour when it came to ideas and manipulation. I don’t mean that in a totally negative sense either. I worked with her on the committee when dealing with the unauthorized practice of law and although I didn’t complete the project due to an advanced stage of pregnancy with twins (waddling around was just not too professional) I witnessed Dian’s ability to put forth ideas and concepts and then having the attorneys patting themselves on the back for their foresight. She knew, though, as did the industry, that it was largely due to her skills that the LPO concept became a living breathing process.
She wore many hats. Mother, Godmother, Wife, Grandmother, Friend, Boss, Manager, and all the while handling the demands of her professional commitment to the American Escrow Association, EAW and Greater Seattle Regional. If you worked with or for Dian in the office, she was demanding of your talent and your loyalty. She could be abrupt at times and you didn’t want that “look” – the one that said without words “shape up”. And then she would buy the office coffee at Starbucks and make sure birthdays were always celebrated.
I suppose there are those that felt that Dian was a super escrow hero – but she was human. Yes – with a number of fears. She worked hard to move past them, though and they led us on some interesting adventures, especially in our travels for AEA. She was claustrophobic and we went down in a gold mine in those tiny elevators to the depths with no light. Not athletic particularly, but went on a nature walk in Arizona wearing only loafers and no socks – hobbled for days and wouldn’t let me forget it. I got her on a trail ride (on a big horse) and have pictures to prove it. She didn’t like heights but went to the top of Pikes Peak and walked out on a suspension bridge to prove she could do it. She could be very stubborn and held a grudge longer than might be necessary – but it seemed necessary to her. You weren’t sure when exactly she had moved on, but she did. She loved gemstones and had an eye for beautiful jewelry. One trip she showed me the wonders of rock hunting in the middle of Oregon – middle of nowhere and insisted we go to this rock shop. I convinced her one year to sing with me and a group I put together in the Figgy Pudding Contest at Christmas time with her good friend Diane Provonzano – she couldn’t carry a tune, but stood in the back and mouthed the words very well!
Once in October one year she was truly feeling sick and I had to drive her home (I usually take a ferry to Bainbridge and she lived north). I dumped the candy out of one of those large plastic pumpkins to take with “just in case” – I have never looked at a plastic pumpkin the same way since!
She enjoyed art and had an eye for art work that she appreciated. She acquired several beautiful pieces from people/artists who had come in to sign papers on a transaction and she ended up talking about art and purchasing a picture or two. They graced the wall in her office and over flowed on the outer walls as well.
Dian’s spirit and legacy are living breathing things. That she should be so remembered in so many ways is a true mark of the impact that she leaves us with. Dian had a difficult end of life. COPD is a tough condition to have and to deal with in advanced stages. She may have wondered to herself if she made a real difference. She needn’t have worried about it – she did.
