Diana M. Mogel, a long-time resident of Fortuna, passed away on Sept. 14, 2019 from a sudden illness surrounded by her loving family. 

Diana was born in South San Francisco on Oct. 3, 1943 to George and Angela Baffico. Raised in San Francisco, she graduated from Lincoln High School and San Francisco City College. One of four siblings, with many nearby aunts, uncles and cousins of Italian descent, Diana developed a strong sense of family that she instilled in her own children and grandchildren.  She met John, her loving husband of 53 years, while he was attending UC Berkeley. They married in 1966. Early in their married life, they lived where John’s medical education and service in Public Health took them: Southern California, Seattle, Anchorage and Fort Defiance, Arizona. Daughter, Katie and son, Brian were born during that time. They eventually settled in Fortuna in 1976.  Family was everything to Diana. She adored her grandchildren, Milo and Eva Weller, of Arcata, of whom she was very proud, attending countless school and sporting events in their support.   

Diana was active in many groups in the community:  Fortuna Senior Bike Group, Soroptimist Club, and her Book Club, making many dear friends along the way.  For many years, she organized and fundraised for the Soroptimist Library Project which provided books to 15 schools in the area. She was motivated by her love of books and reading.  

John and Diana worked on many occasions for Habitat for Humanity, spending countless hours caulking, painting, and helping make the dream of a home come true for some lucky stranger.  They enjoyed this work because they loved to travel and meet new people. Diana was easy to talk to and could strike up a conversation with ease and genuine interest in that person or what they were doing.  

Diana organized countless outdoor adventures with their children and friends, combining a love of Nature with camping, winter skiing, water skiing, hiking and biking.  She recently acquired an electric bicycle and was finally able to “out-bike” John on their rides. She was loving it!

Diana was a fantastic cook. Her Thanksgiving dinners were epic. Thoughts of ravioli danced in our heads on the way to her house. If you knew Diana, you knew what an amazing person she was, kind and generous, always willing to do for others, a truly loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend.  She will be missed beyond words.

Diana is survived by her husband, John Mogel; daughter Katie (Ted Weller); son, Brian; grandchildren, Milo Weller and Eva Weller; aunt, Carmel Saco; sister, Cathy Furtado (John); nieces, Lisa Rossman (Cameron), Jill Grochowski (Shelby), Jennifer Furtado (Anthony Negrin), Giovanna Baffico; nephew, Forrest Baffico and many cousins, grandnieces and grandnephews.  She is preceded in death by her parents, George A. and Angela D. Baffico; sister, Georgiana Parrott; brother, Thomas G. Baffico (Eileen Sullivan).

A celebration of her life will be held on October 26 at 3:30 pm at Redwood Empire Golf Course, 352 Country Club Drive, Fortuna, CA 95540.  Diana’s family welcomes all who would like to attend. 

A foundation has been established by the Soroptimist Club to honor her work.  Please consider making a donation to the Diana M. Mogel scholarship fund: 

Soroptimist International of Eel River Valley
PO Box 869
Fortuna, Ca 95540

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The obituary above was submitted by Diana’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.