Diana Gaddy Klouse, BHS 1955

Diana Gaddy Klouse, BHS 1955

RED HOOK- Diana G. Klose, 77, passed away Dec. 18, 2015, at Northern Dutchess Hospital after a brief illness, while her husband Taylor Klose, of Red Hook, kept vigil at her bedside.
Also at her bedside was a daughter by a previous marriage, Brooke Stevens, and granddaughter, Rowan Willigan, both of Red Hook.

Diana and Taylor were married for 33 years and settled in Dutchess County some 25 years ago, after living in London and Oxford, England, pursuing writing careers.
A woman of great spirit, generosity, compassion, and love of life, Diana had two other surviving children by previous marriages – Marta Hill Gray, of Orange, Va., and Jason Stevens, of Victoria, British Columbia.

Diana was a student of Spanish literature. A 1964 graduate of UCLA, she continued graduate studies in literature at U.C. Irvine (CA) and the Sorbonne in Paris. Diana was an anti-Vietnam war activist. She traveled extensively and lived in Europe, Australia, and the West Coast before marrying Taylor in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1983.

She possessed resilient courage in the face of intractable arthritis that caused her intense pain for many years. She was a breast cancer survivor.

Diana loved travel and the lively arts, spoke and read French and Spanish, and subscribed to – and was much entertained by - Paris Match, the French weekly of news, celebrities, and the arts.

She and Taylor first met and dated briefly in the 1960s at UCLA. Although they parted back then, they never forgot each other. 20 years passed before they met again – with Harvard University playing Cupid by forwarding to Taylor (RHCS '54 / Harvard '58) a letter sent to the Alumni Office by Diana - who hoped to see him once again but had no idea where – or even if – he was living. Their tale of love lost and reclaimed has touched family, friends, and complete strangers from Los Angeles, to Washington, to New York, Moscow and Red Hook.

Diana was predeceased by her parents, Carl and Geraldine Gaddy of Los Angeles.
Diana is survived by brothers, Philip Gaddy, Nahcotta, Wash; and Brian Gaddy, Los Angeles. Other survivors are stepson, Ian Klose, Sunnyvale, Calif; and five grandchildren: Brooke's Rowan, Macklin, and Galen; Jason's Hannah and Zoe.

A celebration of Diana Klose is planned for the spring. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes, 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, N.Y.          

Published in Daily Freeman on Jan. 25, 2016