Diane Carlisle

Diane Carlisle, 79, of Baker City, died on February 11, 2021.  A Celebration of Diane's Life & Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2021 - 10:00 a.m. at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Baker City. 

Diane Rae Carrithers Carlisle was born June 23, 1941, in Bakersfield, California, to Frances Bartlett and Ray Carlton Carrithers, and spent most of her childhood in Robinette, Oregon, an isolated community in the Snake River Canyon, on the Oregon-Idaho border, east of Baker City. Her family operated the Robinette grocery store and post office, while raising cattle and alfalfa seed on their Jackson Bar Idaho ranch. Diane attended the one-room Robinette grade school, and then boarded with Judge John and Cornelia Sass in Richland, Oregon, during her years at Eagle Valley High School. Following the flooding of the Snake River Canyon by the Brownlee Dam in 1958, the Carrithers Family moved to Santa Cruz, California, and Diane graduated high school there.

She attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon before marrying Eagle Valley High School sweetheart, Warren Whitnah, in 1960. After their graduation from Eastern Oregon College (now, Eastern Oregon University), Diane worked for the State of Oregon as a Public Welfare Case Manager during the four years Warren attended the University of Oregon Dental School in Portland, Oregon, and during the early years of his dental practice in Baker City.

Following their divorce in 1975, Diane completed the MSW (Masters in Social Work) program in clinical social work at the University of Washington, specializing in mental health (psychotherapy) and substance abuse treatment. She practiced for a number of years in Southwest Washington, returning to Eastern Oregon in 2006. Since her return to Baker City, she worked with adolescents affected by substance abuse, hospice patients and their families, and outpatient mental health services; all work she always considered a privilege.

Diane is survived by her children: Tymmera Rae Whitnah of New Bridge, Oregon and her son Robert Warren Whitnah of Baker City. Also surviving her are granddaughters, Nicholle Rae, Madalyn Lee, Abigayle Jane Whitnah of Corvallis, Oregon and grandsons, Marshall Theron, Wyatt Warren and Emmett Robert Whitnah of Richland, Oregon; brother Richard Carlton Carrithers (Kathryn) of Bellevue, WA; nephew, Matthew Carlton Carrithers (Amy) of Olympia, Washington; sister-of-the-heart, Nancy Dice Richards of Port Townsend, Washington; former daughters-in-law, Kari Whitacre of Corvallis, Oregon and Krischele Whitnah of Richland, Oregon; and "second son", Shigeru Oshima of Tokyo, Japan. Among the many other people important to her are former colleagues, Mary Lee Nichols of West Linn, Oregon; Gary Braden of Gresham, Oregon; and Russ Freeland of Vancouver, Washington.

Diane is predeceased by her parents, Ray and Frances Carrithers; step-mother, Lois Carrithers Schum; niece, Nina Rae Carrithers Wesson, former brother and sister-in-law, Calvin Whitnah and Emma Koch Whitnah, and former husbands, Dr. Richard Galt and Dr. Steven Carlisle.

For those who wish, Diane suggests contributions to the Nature Conservancy or Planned Parenthood; organizations honoring the earth and the dignity of human life through Tami's Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834.  Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com