Diane Jean Allen , September 06, 1958 — June 19, 2018

Diane Jean Allen of Gig Harbor, Washington died June 19, 2018. She was born September 6, 1958 in Oak Park, Illinois to John Peter Polishak and Angeline (Dellaria) Polishak. Diane graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb and began a career in hotel management.

During her career she worked in Chicago, San Francisco, Hawaii and Seattle. On August 18, 1990, Diane married Bruce C. Allen in North Lake, Illinois. They lived for 12 years in Hong Kong during which their son, Joseph, and their daughter, Audrey, were born.

In 2005 the family moved to Gig Harbor where Diane has been an active volunteer in her children’s schools and many activities. Diane was very generous in her charitable giving. Every place Diane lived she gathered friends who grew to love her.

Diane had friends from all around the world. She was fun loving, considerate, helpful, and always ready with a quick welcoming smile and hug. Diane was grounded in her Catholic faith and lived it out daily in her selfless giving to others.

Diane, through the sheer power of her will, survived cancer for fourteen years in order to be with her family and to raise her children. Diane was a beautiful woman inside and out and was an exceptional mother and friend. Diane is survived by her husband, Bruce; children Joseph and Audrey; sisters Elaine Martin and husband George of Beaverdam, VA and Christine Douglas and husband Michel of Pittsburgh, PA ; brothers and sisters in-law: Joyce Kauke and husband Robert, Janet Murphy, Judy Gilbert and husband Barry, Jane Wehrli and husband Craig, Julia Karnstedt; nieces and nephews: Andrea Martin, Christopher Martin, Bryan Kauke and wife Andrea, Heather Murphy, Suzanne Short and husband Ben, Benjamin Gilbert, Justin Wehrli and wife Sara, Lisa Jarnagin and husband Owen, Paul Karnstedt and wife Melissa, Matt Karnstedt and wife Jackie, and several great nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 3510 Rosedale St NW, Gig Harbor. A reception/lunch will follow at 12:30 at the Canterwood Golf & Country Club, 12606 54th Ave NW, Gig Harbor. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the South Sound Care Foundation, P.O. Box 1314, Tacoma, WA 98401.

This is a local cancer research foundation from which Diane benefited.

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