Previous Monongah High Alumni blog articles have detailed the other authors’ careers.

Diana Pishner Walker, a 1977 graduate of Clarksburg Notre Dame High School who works for the Marion County Board of Education, has a brother who performs with the Amici’s musical group. 

Her children are Curt, Chris and Courtney. Her siblings are Anna Pishner Harsh and Stephano Pishner. 

Diane Hutchinson Parker was born December 30, 1932 at 741 Fairmont Avenue to Brooks and Ray Hutchinson. Her father was president of WV Coal and Coke and her paternal grandfather, Clyde E. Hutchinson, was founder and president of Hutchinson Coal Company, a Consol subsidiary.

Diane is a lifelong resident of Fairmont and a “cradle” member of Christ Episcopal Church at Ninth Street and a 60-year member of the Fairmont Field Club.

In 1952 she married attorney Paul Edward Parker, Jr. They have two children --  Paul E. Parker, III, married to Jan Carpenter, and Sylvia Elaine Parker. Her grandsons are Brooks Edward and Brett Russell, born to Eddie and Jan.

The 1950 Fairmont West High grad is a lifetime member of her school’s FSHS Foundation, including six years on the Foundation’s  board of directors.  She was chairman of its 1950 Class Reunion in 2010.

Diana was freshman class president and graduated from Fairmont State in 1954 and taught first grade at White School on Locust Avenue in 1954-55. She performed in Fairmont State Masquers productions from second grade through college career. She’s a member of the national honorary drama fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, and local Gamma Chi Chi social sorority.

Diana has been with the Junior League of Fairmont for 21 years, and was  president in 1970-72 when League led a successful drive to start the Marion County Rescue Squad in Fairmont with a $13,000 ambulance. 

She started the Flower Service of the Fairmont General Hospital Association. Her grandmother, Mrs. Clyde E. Hutchinson, started the first Woman’s Auxiliary at Cook Hospital in 1916 and was its first president; Diana became president of the Fairmont General Hospital Volunteer Association 50 years later.

She has been president of West Virginia’s oldest garden club, the Green Hills Garden Club, founded in 1929, succeeding her mother, who was president in 1935.

After her husband’s death and burial in the cemetery where five generations of her family are buried, she founded and served as chairman of the Woodlawn Cemetery Preservation Society in 2001. The cemetery and old Chapel building later were added to the state and national Historic Registers.

Diana and Paul established the General Frank K. (Pete) Everest Association of the American Air force Association (AAA). She was historian and treasurer for 11 years.

In 2010 Diana was named Volunteer of the Year by the Fairmont Times West Virginian editorial board.