Diane Dodd Obituary (2021) – Resident Of Castro Valley, CA – Mercury News – Legacy.com
Diane (Farries) Dodd
October 8, 2021
Resident of Castro Valley
Diane was born in Glendale, California, to parents Mildred and Alfred Farries. An only child, her parents doted on her. She was the little girl with the Shirley Temple curls and became an accomplished pianist in her youth.
She passed away on October 8th at age 84, from complications due to Lewy Body dementia. She lived in a Memory Care Facility the last 2 years of her life.
Diane graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale and remained life-long friends with many of her classmates that she knew since elementary school.
She married John Freeman and had two children, Allan and Gail. They settled in Sylmar, California.
She lived most her life in California, with some years stationed in Rhode Island, Florida, and Venezuela with her second husband, Max Muse, who was in the Navy.
Diane eventually settled in Castro Valley with her third husband, Robert Dodd. There she became Queen of her court and made many friendships with her neighbors.
She was a long-time employee of Bay Cities Auto Auction, starting with her years spent at the Tully Road, San Jose location, then moving to the Hayward facility. She enjoyed working with all the different people she came in contact with. She loved cars and always had stories to tell about the auction.
She met her partner, Arlen Murphy, at the auction and they remained together until his passing. Arlen rode Harleys and Mom got to experience the fun of going on long rides with their motorcycle club. They also owned a vacation home in Arnold and enjoyed spending time there. Our whole family took Mom to Arnold as a surprise 80th birthday present.
Mom was the center of attention at all our family parties – she would arrive and declare “I’m here!” to everyone. She loved to tell stories and could talk for hours, as her family, friends, and neighbors can attest to. She was very generous with her family. Her grandkids taught her how to “make it rain” when she passed out her Christmas cash. She had a special bond with her grandchildren and her cats!
She was also a big football fan and always rooted for the 49ers and Raiders, her two favorite teams.
She had many good, long-time friends that she kept in contact with, some almost daily by phone.
Diane is survived by her son Allan (Alli), her daughter Gail, her six grandchildren Jen (Andy), Gredy (Carlos), Nikki (Brad), Kevin, Aaron, and Corbin (Sunny). She also leaves seven great-grandchildren Amya, Barrett, Cody, Tucker, Benjamin, Everett, and Harper.
She was a wonderful Mom, Grandma, and Great-Grandmother, friend, and neighbor who will be greatly missed.
Due to COVID, we will have a Celebration of Life in Castro Valley next year.
You may contact Gail at [email protected] for more information. Her family would love to see Mom’s friends and neighbors and share our wonderful memories.
Rest in peace and love, Mom. We miss you very much.
Published by The Mercury News on Nov. 28, 2021.
