Diana Jean Sanger, 81, of Spokane, WA, died in Olympia, WA from COVID complications on January 31, 2024.

She was born in Spokane, WA in 1942 to Gordon Alexander and June Keller Hagan, and grew up in Elk, WA. Diana attended Riverside High School, graduating in 1960. Later that year, she married Arthur Floyd Sanger and moved to Roswell, NM. Later, they moved to southern CA, where she learned to enjoy artichokes and Anderson’s Pea Soup. They moved to Ritzville, WA in 1972 and took over the Kernel Freeze Drive-In from Art’s parents. After a divorce in 1982, Diana continued ownership of the Drive- In, and renamed it to DJ’s Drive-In. She attended Eastern Washington University (EWU), graduating in 1996, with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She worked as a Chemical Dependency Counselor in Spokane, Edmonds, Tenino, Shelton, and Stevenson, WA. After retiring in 2009, she moved to the Tri-Cities where she enjoyed having a home built near family. Later she moved to the Seattle area, and then closer to family in Olympia.

In her younger life, she enjoyed camping at the lake, and trips to the ocean. She loved playing Bridge, canasta, and board games with family. The Calgary Stampede, and a trip to Buellton, CA were fun vacations. She enjoyed participating in resident council meetings at her retirement homes, where she remained fiercely independent. She also enjoyed grandchildren’s musical performances, soccer games, buying them gifts, and sharing ice cream with them!

Diana was preceded in death by her parents, Gordon and June, and grandsons Alex Arritola and Tommy Sanger. She is survived by her children Mona Sanger in Kent, Scott Sanger in Port Orchard, Rhonda Schafer in Burbank, and Kelli Carmony in Olympia, ten grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Memorial Services will be held at 2pm, Saturday August 17, 2024 at Spokane Memorial Gardens. Donations can be made to National Ataxia Foundation at www.ataxia.org/donate/ .