Linda Garner

Dianne Garner, 73, of Raleigh passed away on September 17, 2019. Dianne was born in Dublin, in Bladen County, North Carolina on January 9, 1946 to the late Lee Dell and Lena Hester Garner. She grew up on the family farm with her siblings: Shirley, Bobbie, Steve and her predeceased brother, Jackie. In addition to doing farm work while growing up, she also held jobs at Goldston Restaurant in White Lake and Smith’s Drug Store in Elizabethtown.

After graduating from Tar Heel High School in 1964, She attended the Southeastern General School of Nursing in Lumberton and Pembroke State University in Pembroke. During her nursing training, a trip to the morgue convinced Dianne that she really didn’t care for shots and the sight of blood and thus set her sights on other career options.Dianne moved to Raleigh in 1967 and was employed by the Velvet Cloak Inn until 1979. There she worked in various capacities, including stints as a waitress, hostess and as a bartender.

On August 1, 1979, Dianne was hired by a Division of Forest Resources as Purchasing’s Property Clerk in the Supply Branch of the Administration Section. In 1998, she moved to the Forest Protection Section as the information and Education Administrative Secretary. In this position, she supported and coordinated various exhibits and meetings for the branch, including the Division’s annual display at the N.C. State Fair, which she always made certain was bursting of color and excitement, as well as ensuring that volunteer’s stomachs were never growling. When not busy with event coordination, Dianne maintained the division’s publications and educational materials, including those connected with the Smokey Bear program.

Dianne retired in 2007 and spent her time devoted to her numerous hobbies and passions, such as gardening, sports, traveling, spending lots of time with her nieces and nephews, as well as keeping in touch with the innumerable friends she made over the years.

The family will receive friends from 2:00-2:45pm on Monday, September 23rd in the Dublin First Baptist Church fellowship hall with a memorial service at 3pm in the church sanctuary.