Diane Ellen Kruger

Diane was born on July 25, 1953, in Yakima, Washington to Richard and Doris Robillard. They lived in the rural suburb of Selah until she was in high school when the family moved to Tigard, Oregon.

One Friday night, she and a friend were out for a drive in downtown Portland. They pulled alongside two dashing young studs and she offered the driver, Robb, her peach. He took a chomp and handed it back - it was love at first bite. Two years later, they were married. In 1975 they took a year long road trip across the US and Canada, before returning to Portland to start their next chapter. They welcomed two daughters: Nicolai Anne in 1978 and Ashley Paige in 1983.

Diane was a talented painter with a near encyclopedic knowledge of art history and techniques. She shared her enthusiasm for the arts, first as a volunteer in the Art Literacy program at her daughters’ school, then working at multiple galleries in Portland's Pearl District. In 2010 she established her own art consulting business, connecting local artists with patrons and putting on regular First Thursday art shows.

Diane was vibrant, gregarious and in constant motion. She seemed to create joy and beauty wherever she went. She loved spending time with family, childhood buddies and people she met through shared interests. There was always another get-together, a girls trip, a dinner, a surprise party. She enjoyed cooking, gardening and decorating but few things pleased her more than traveling. She loved Mexico, Hawaii, France, Italy and had a special love for Japan where she travelled several times, including to welcome her two grandchildren when they were born.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Daniel and sister Denise. She is survived by her loving husband Robb, daughters Nicolai (husband Yasu) and Paige, grandchildren Naomi and Kenzo, brother Richard and many more family and friends. She will be missed tremendously.

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