Diane Evette (Gordon) Burchak

Diane Evette Burchak, 79, of Cle Elum, passed away at her home on Friday, December 4, 2020.  Viewing for family and friends will be Friday, December 11, 2020 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at Johnston & Williams (Cascade) Funeral Home in Cle Elum.  Due to current restrictions, in-person attendance at the Rosary (7:00 p.m. Friday, December 11) and Mass (10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 12) will be limited by invite, but a livestream of each event will be available for the community at www.johnston-williams.com

Diane was born on June 3, 1941 in Seattle, Washington, the oldest of two girls born to Stewart & Bernadine (Morris) Gordon.  When Diane was 3, her family moved to back to Roslyn and they lived with her grandmother in Ducktown. Diane was always very proud of her home town, Roslyn, of which she was a third generation resident.  She grew up in Roslyn attending school in Roslyn through the eighth grade before attending and graduating from Cle Elum High School in 1959.  While in school, Diane was a Carnival princess, song leader, cheerleader, participated in drama productions and dance. After graduating high school, she worked as a telephone operator in Cle Elum.  This was when Cle Elum operated on party phone lines.

Diane met George Burchak while they were both in high school – she was a freshman and he was a senior. The two hit it off and dated for four years before they were married on April 28, 1962. Following their marriage, the young couple briefly lived in Seattle before returning to Cle Elum in 1965. They established a family mink ranch on Mohar Road where they raised three children, Doug, Selina and Darrin.  They continued to operate the ranch until retiring in 2005. Diane did everything on the ranch, from keeping the books, vaccinating, taking blood samples, cleaning pens, overseeing breeding and pelting. Diane was a key part of all operations of the mink ranch in addition to making sure her family was well taken care of.

Diane and George had the opportunity to take a few trips later in life.  Her favorite trip was to New England, where she was excited to take in the beauty of all that the fall season had to offer.  Additionally, they enjoyed road trips around the state as she and George were avid antique hunters and collectors.

Diane was a very devout Catholic and involved in her local parish.  She was active in the church choir and involved in various charities.  She was a fixture at the daily masses at both Immaculate Conception in Roslyn and St. John the Baptist in Cle Elum.

Diane was an avid decorator, and the house was always done up based on the season.  Christmas was, by far, her favorite holiday. Every year it was a surprise as to what the theme would be. She loved to cook big holiday meals and would prepare for weeks leading up to the holidays.  Her family will remember her amazing cooking skills including her chicken divine, pigs in a blanket, stuffed peppers and, of course, her Mississippi Mud dessert.

Diane is survived by her husband of 60 years, George, at their home outside of Cle Elum; children Doug (Debbie) of Spokane, Selina (Brian) and Darrin (Jody) of Cle Elum; grandchildren Bryce (Sara), Dawson, Sena, Cheyanna, Brooklyn (Ryan), Brennan and Alaina, as well as her great-grandson, Crew.  Her sister Lynn (Jim) Lee of Monroe also survives.   She was preceded in death by her parents and granddaughter Bailey.

Memorial contributions in Diane’s honor are suggested to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.  Johnston & Williams Funeral Home of Cle Elum has been entrusted with caring for Diane’s family.  Online condolences may  be left at www.johnston-williams.com

PLEASE NOTE: (January 11, 2024) -- The recordings of Diane's Rosary and Mass have been archived and removed from our server.  If you wish to obtain a copy of these recordings on a thumb drive, please contact our office.