Patricia Dianne Elliott

A graveside memorial service and burial of cremains for Patricia Dianne Elliott will be held Friday, March 1, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Whitehouse Cemetery. Immediately following the service we will welcome family and friends for a "Celebration of Life" and fellowship in the Carroway Family Reception Room. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Kindly RSVP by  Sunday, February 25, 2024 to Susan Elliott Horton, 512-657-1983 or Helen Elliott Mayo, 281-793-9814.

Patricia Dianne Elliott, 68, was resurrected into her Heavenly Father’s arms on November 15, 2023 under the precious care of Hospice in the Pines at CHI St. Luke’s in Lufkin, Texas.

Dianne was born on March 1, 1955 in Center, Texas to Joseph and Rosalie Elliott. In 1958, Joe and Rosalie moved their small family to Lufkin, Texas where Joe would continue his work with oil and gas. Dianne was their first born and as their family continued to grow, she became big sister to three younger siblings: Susan, Mark, and Helen.

Dianne attended most of her schooling in Lufkin. She was a student at St. Patrick’s Catholic School from Kindergarten through 6th grade. She finished Junior High and High School in Lufkin and graduated with the LHS Class of 1973. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church for several years.

Dianne was an excellent student and always strived to be the best at everything she set out to do. Her passion was music and art. She played the flute and piccolo and frequently challenged her peers for first chair in band, resulting in always being first- or second-chair flute. She acquired a love for twirling, and was not only a twirler in junior high and high school, but was the drum major for a combined three years, as well. During her ’71-’73 high school years, she and her co-drum major, Jody Cockrell, were so perfectly paired, that you could not tell them apart out on the field. Under the stellar direction of Waymon Bullock, they led the Panther Band in numerous half-time performances and to many UIL competitions, always placing first in ratings.

At a young age, Dianne picked up spending money by giving private twirling and drum major lessons to teenage girls (even to her two younger sisters). Her uniform always jangled because of the MANY medals she earned in UIL competitions for twirling and solo/ensemble performances. Dianne’s first retail job as a teenager was at the Baskin-Robbins ice cream store on Timberland Drive. She was employed at Clark’s Department Store in the old Angelina Mall as a gift wrapper during the holiday seasons, as a waitress at Little Italy Pizza Parlor, and as a hostess for Overland Express Steakhouse. She was not afraid of hard work.

She did her basics at Angelina College while performing as a cheerleader for the baseball and basketball teams. Soon thereafter, she enrolled at Stephen F. Austin State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in the School of Fine Arts and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1984. She was also a member of Alpha Chi. After college, she was employed by Temple-Inland as a photographer where she enjoyed photographing people and places. One of her favorite memories of working there was plucking a magnolia flower from the top of a tree while the helicopter pilot lowered her within picking distance!

A few years later, she moved to Santa Barbara, California and furthered her education by receiving a Master of Arts degree through Brooks Institute of Photography. This degree opened up many doors allowing her to work for companies such as Patagonia, The Territory Ahead, The Independent, and the Santa Barbara News Press where she was the photographer for a real estate magazine insert. She photographed celebrities and their homes for personalities such as Betty White, Tom Bosley, Ann Landers, and Dick Butkus.

Dianne’s favorite past times included dedicating her daily runs in and around the Mission Canyon area of Santa Barbara to those she loved, traveling, journaling, writing poetry, creating handmade greeting cards, fashioning pottery pieces, growing patio plants, attending concerts, dining and wining with good friends, taking part in art shows, house and pet sitting, feeding birds and wild animals, and basking in the fine weather of Santa Barbara. She owned several dogs and cats throughout her life, but two Siamese cats in particular who were blessed to call her “Mom” were Malin and N’dari. They were her “children” and she spoiled them silly.

Dianne was preceded in death by two spouses, Mike Fuller of Huntington, and Thomas Wagner of The Woodlands. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Rosalie Elliott, in 2022 and 2020, respectively. She is survived by her three adoring siblings and their spouses: Susan Elliott Horton and husband, Anthony, of Austin; Mark Logan Elliott of Lufkin; and Helen Elliott Mayo and husband, Scott, of League City.

Her surviving nieces and nephews include Ashley Long Chrysler, and husband, Scott, of Austin; Elliott Counts, and wife, Samantha, of Lumberton; Jacob Logan Elliott, and wife, Emily, of Lufkin; and Grace Mayo of League City. Great nieces and nephews carrying on are Claire, Logan, and Astor Counts and Avery and Brady Elliott. She will be fondly remembered by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The Elliott Family would like to thank the caretakers who held Dianne’s hands, comforted her, kept her safe, cooked her meals, took her on drives, and gave her reason to laugh through her stages of dementia. A tremendous thank you to Cindy McMullen Green and her husband, Larry (and his mom, Dolly), Tyisha Tanner, Rhonda Doss, and Aida Delacruz. Each of these beautiful souls has a gift given to them by God, and our family was blessed to have them on our team. We thank each of you immensely. She loved you all.

An extra salute to the women of Hospice in the Pines, Inpatient Care Unit at CHI St. Luke’s Hospital. Words cannot describe the attention to detail, and the compassion and professionalism at a time that she (and we) needed it most. You showed her mercy and dignity at her lowest point in life and this made all the difference to not only her, but her family, too. We acknowledge with our utmost respect Elizabeth, Tiffany, Leslie, L’Dona, Hortencia, Ann, Amanda, Layla, Vanessa, Stephanie, and the hospice doctors, Dr. Karl Krohn and Dr. Jeffrey Bell. Gratitude for Doris and Herbert for their contributions for Dianne’s care, and a special acknowledgement to Dianne’s CNA, Justina, who was tender, compassionate, dedicated, and gifted….the face of God. “Thank you” does not express our deep, deep appreciation, but THANK YOU, nonetheless.

A special thank you to her friends from near and afar who never forgot her: Suzanne and Paul for calling her and sending her cards with words of encouragement to let her know she made a difference; to Maida and Duffy who kept careful watch over her in Santa Barbara until her family was able to get her back to Lufkin.

Thank you, Glenn Lenderman. You have been a good friend to her and our family for many, many years. Our gratitude for being there for her over the past two years by visiting her on several occasions, taking her on drives to listen to music, and for coming to sit with her while in hospice care. Your presence was paramount in helping her feel safe and important. Dianne was blessed to have you in her life. To Kathy and Gerald Neal, who kept a lookout, lent an ear, showed compassion, and humored her with wit about “escaping California” and making her a batch of fudge, please accept our abundance of thanks for the many conversations and phone calls you made to our family. And especially to our brother, Mark, who used his military knowledge to “keep Dianne in line” and made her laugh harder than anyone else. You all are salt of the earth and the empathy and compassion you have for others does not go unnoticed.

Blessings to all of our friends and family who have prayed and asked for the comfort and care of Dianne and her siblings. We could not have wished for anything more.

In lieu of flowers, please make online donations to Hospice in the Pines of Lufkin, Texas (hospiceinthepines.org) or Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (tvmf.org). Notes can be sent to Dianne Elliott, ℅ Helen E. Mayo, 2208 Lilyglen Court, League City, Texas 77573 or Susan E. Horton, 11414 Silmarillion Trail, Austin, Texas 78739.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.