DL F/A Diane Spaht Bourn, widow of DL Capt. Joe D. Bourn

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

DL F/A  Diane Spaht Bourn, widow of DL Capt. Joe D. Bourn

January 6, 1944 ~ January 6, 2021

 

From retired Delta Flight Attendant friends comes this news with the passing of retired Delta Air Lines flight attendant Diane Davis Spaht Bourn, widow of Delta pilot Captain Joe D. Bourn who passed in December 2007.  Diane had most recently resided in the Florida area.  She is survived by her daughters and their families  plus many more dear family members and close friends.  Diane’s daughters have written a loving tribute to their mom….please see below.  

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN 

 

 

Diane Davis Spaht Bourn   

She was a force of nature, she was the life of every party and, if you met her, you knew both of her daughters’ life stories. She never met a stranger ever! On trash days, she rushed to get cold cokes ready for her friends when they drove up to empty the cans. She had a costume for every occasion and a blinking twirling button for just every day. The bigger the better and the more attention she could get the brighter the day. She could out golf the men. She said their only strategy was to hit it as hard as they could. She had two hole in ones in the last 2 years. She was strong and the only senior citizen in The Villages to ever chase her assailant down and knock him off his motorcycle. She got her wallet back. She had advice for everyone and anyone at all times. 6% was great advice and that 6% was valuable. She traveled the world. She flew to Brazil to get Botox in the street markets before we knew what Botox was in the US. She didn’t want to look old. She was stunning. 

 

She loved her grandchildren more than her children. If you’re reading this you already know their accomplishments, personalities and sports schedules because she kept you posted. She was proud of them and of her daughters. She thought we were gorgeous. She was always elated when she took us out on the town with her. She took pictures and videos of us everyday since our first breath. She loved my dad since they were in junior high. He was her crush. We heard stories about “your dad” daily. She loved to entertain and make others happy and comfortable. She always served you a beer in a cold glass with a cocktail napkin. She decorated every dining table like it was a royal event. We ate fried pork chops and rice and gravy on fine china. She loved to live life to the fullest and wanted us to as well. She handed us a book on colleges and told us to start with the SEC. She said to choose a college based on the last two paragraphs of each description. It was the section describing how big of a party school it was. We landed at Ole Miss. She called or texted during every Ole Miss v LSU football game to let us know we lost and she won...even this year. The sarcastic text read “I guess we had to “cheat” to beat you ”with a LOL" after. She was at the Billy Cannon game and told us about it many times. She met and talked to more famous people than I can even remember. Ronald Regan, Muhammad Ali, Sydney Poitier, Sophia Loren, Ryan O’Neil, Martin Luther King, Jr, BB King and every Dallas Cowboy to name a few. She was a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan. She loved #41 Charlie Waters and drove past his house frequently. She was very patriotic. She had a costume, a light up button and a flag outside to prove that. She was furious if you didn’t know your American history. She wasn’t a rule breaker, but rules were definitely optional. 

 

And this is only half of her life story! We were really close to our mom. It’s only in her death that we truly realize how close we really are and how much we are our mother. She passed away quietly on her birthday enjoying a cold beer in a cold glass watching the sunset lowering over the golf course. What a blessing for her and for us. She will be overwhelmingly missed by her daughters, her brothers, her son-in-laws, her grandchildren, her Delta Flight Attendant family for over 60 years, and her many friends all over the world. We love her, Ashley and Brittainy

Geaux Tigers!

………………………………………

 

DL Capt. Joe D. Bourn

Born : 23-Jul-1937            

Death :  17-DEC-2007

Date of hire : 8-FEB-1965 , based ATL

 

JOE D. BOURN Joe D. Bourn, 70, of Alpharetta entered into rest on Monday, December 17th and is survived by his wife, Diane Bourn, and his children, Chris Bourn and wife, Allison, Curt Bourn and wife, Laura, Ashley Groff and husband, Wes, and grandchildren, Carter Bourn, Brody Bourn, and Cameron Bourn. Joe's life was marked by many achievements. After growing up in Carlsbad, New Mexico, he entered the Navy at the age of 21, where he was a pilot for 5 years. Joe flew for the Hurricane Hunters of VW-4 and was stationed at NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Then, in 1965, he was hired by Delta Air Lines. Joe had a flying career that spanned over 3 decades. He flew as captain of a wide variety of aircraft that included the DC-9, B-727, B-757, B-767, and B-767-300ER. During Joe's life, he was an avid golfer and enjoyed his time at the Atlanta Athletic Club, having been a member since 1981.