~ 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.
