Obituary of Diane Elise Salathe
Diane E. Salathé passed away on February 5, 2025 at the age of 81, at Abbie Hunt Bryce Hospice in Indianapolis, IN, after many years of living with Parkinson's disease.
Born in 1943 to Gilbert and Martha (Ahlquist) Patten, she grew up in a household full of music, as her father came from a family of vaudevillians and was an accomplished singer and choir director. While attending Attleboro High School she met Philip Salathé (d. 2022). Their love led to a 58-year marriage that yielded their children Elise, Eileen, Greta, Philip Jr., Ursula (d. 1979), and Peter.
Early in adulthood she trained as a nurse, but chose to abandon the profession after witnessing practices she deemed unethical. Later she held a variety of clerical and service jobs, which sometimes brought her into unexpected situations, like meeting the members of Aerosmith, or working with one of the earliest proponents of the UNIX operating system. Like her husband, however, her life was defined more by her family relationships than her career.
Though outwardly calm and reserved, she possessed a very sharp intellect, a firm sense of integrity, and a compassionate attention to the challenges faced by friends and loved ones. Despite making do with very little for much of her life, her friends knew that, between Diane and her more gregarious husband, they could always find a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear, and a seat at the table, at the Salathé household.
She loved crafting of all kinds and was uncommonly resourceful, finding ways to make something useful out of nearly anything. Many of her nieces and nephews learned to knit, crochet, and sew by her side, and her grandchildren are still playing with stuffed animals she made for her children in the 1970s. She was always happy to cook and bake with her children, using the opportunity to subtly impart valuable lessons about math and fractions. At yard sales and flea markets she was in her element, always looking for interesting things that could be transformed into something else, solve a household problem, or simply make a nice gift for a loved one.
She loved The Wizard of Oz, the music of Yanni, and anything starring Lucille Ball. Throughout her life she experienced coincidences and odd events that she felt were beyond explanation, which no doubt contributed to her lifelong belief that there was more "over the rainbow" than meets the eye.
In addition to her children, she is survived by grandchildren Ursula, Mitchell, Elias, Samantha, Nicholas, and Romana, her great-granddaughter Diana, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her sisters Norma Powers and Shirley Lewis, her nephews Karl Max Salathé and Gary Lewis, and her grandson Max Gernhard.
Her family will hold a private service in Indianapolis.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana and/or Abbie Hunt Bryce Hospice in Indianapolis.