Obituary

Linda "Diane" Moran

August 18, 1948 - November 6, 2023

Linda “Diane” Moran was born on August 18, 1948,  in Bogalusa, Louisiana. She peacefully walked into the arms of Jesus on November 6, 2023. 

In the 75 years that Diane lived, she was so many things to so many people. She was a daughter, a sister, a teacher, an aunt, and a friend. Diane was an elementary school teacher for over 30 years, teaching at Pleasant Hill Elementary, Fifth Ward Junior High School, Annunciation Catholic School, and Folsom Elementary School. She made many lifelong friends along the way and had an impact on the lives of numerous children and parents. She enjoyed her teaching career immensely and often hosted special events for her children like formal tea parties. 

She was a member of two different Red Hat Societies, which she started, and was the Queen Mother of: Ten Lizzies Red Hat Society and Diamond Dames Red Hat Society. She was also a member of Circle of Friends and a pokeno group with some of her closest friends. She was an active member of Annunciation Catholic Church where she acted as a wedding Coordinator for a number of years. 

The only job she took more seriously than teaching was socializing. She was quite a social butterfly. Her favorite pastimes included parties, brunch, and spending time with her family and friends. She loved to travel. Even in her older years, you could often find her at a table in The Golden Pear for several hours a day chatting away. She was a regular at the nail shop and the hair salon. She believed there was no excuse for not looking your best.

She never had any children of her own but treated her nieces and nephews just like they were hers. She loved giving them gifts and taking them to do special things. That continued when the great nieces and nephews arrived. It was her personal mission to teach them all proper language skills and table manners. They were less than cooperative, and she never completely succeeded. 

There are endless childhood memories. We all wanted to be just like her. She seemed so classy and elegant. She even made us eat on fine china at Christmas dinner. Her house was full of paintings and lead crystal. We weren’t allowed to touch the fancy things or wrinkle the nice bedding. She took us on impromptu frozen yogurt runs. It was an hour drive one way. Our parents would have never done that. We got to experience the world in a different way when we were with her. We rarely ever heard the word “no”.      

She was a natural born leader.  She shared her thoughts and opinions openly, whether she should have or not. She never subscribed to the theory that some things were better left unsaid. She enjoyed life to the fullest. She was always impeccably dressed; she took every opportunity to shop, get dressed up, and go out to eat. Those were the things she enjoyed most in this life. 

She loved her family fiercely in spite of their questionable fashion choices, inferior table manners, and their misuse of the English language. She spent as much time with them as she could, even as her health declined from Parkinson’s disease. She will be fondly remembered in the little things they do each day. She would want us to get together with our family and friends and live life to the fullest just like she did. 

She is survived by her nieces and nephews Amy (Ryan) Ladner, Casey (Angela) Callender, Somer (Adam) Bonds, and Heather Moran, as well as their children. 

Visitation will be held at Poole-Ritchie Funeral home on Saturday, November 11th at 11a.m. until service time. There will be a rosary at 1:30 followed by a service at 2 p.m.  Interment will follow in the Ponemah Cemetery, Bogalusa, LA.