Cover photo for Diane K. Lujan's Obituary
1943 Diane 2020

Diane K. Lujan

February 12, 1943 — May 29, 2020

Diane was born in Denver, CO to James and Emma Smith. She spent her early years in Pueblo, CO and moved to Albuquerque in the late 1940s. She attended St. Charles and graduated from St. Pius High School. She has one younger brother, Jim Smith. She married in 1962 and had two children, Monique Mosher and Jim Archuleta.

Diane worked as an elementary school teacher for APS for 25-plus years, teaching at Cortez, Thomasita, Griegos, and Governor Bent Elementary schools. She taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades, but enjoyed her 1st – 2nd combination classes the most at Governor Bent where she team taught with Pat Harrington. Diane’s classes were often large because parents requested her as their student’s teacher. Diane loved to teach children to read, and in the early 1980s received a Master of Education with a Reading Specialty from UNM.

She met Joseph Lujan in 1979 and married him in 1986. They both loved traveling and visiting their children who were no longer in Albuquerque. One of their favorite trips was a loop through the southern states in their RV. Diane was the ultimate navigator. Their trips abroad included England, Scotland, Ireland, and a cruise to Alaska. She enjoyed trips to Vancouver, Canada, New York, Washington D.C, Ohio, and Mexico with her mother. When her children were young, adventures were had in a pumpkin-colored VW camper on a road trip to and from California. Later when Monique was in graduate school in Ohio, Diane traipsed across the country in her son’s van to see Gettysburg, PA and Washington D.C., again for a fun-filled family vacation.

Diane loved animals, having several dogs and cats, a parakeet, a hedgehog, a goat, and even a horse. She purchased several hamsters, guinea pigs, a gerbil, a mouse for her children, and despite not liking bugs, allowed a tarantula and a scorpion as pets for her stepson. She enjoyed planting flowers and was an avid fan of reading, often falling asleep with her electronic book reader in her hands.

Diane is survived by her husband, Joseph Lujan; daughter, Monique Mosher and her partner, Chris Flores; son, Jim Archuleta and his wife, ChristyAnn; her brother, Jim Smith and his wife, Christy Smith, and niece, Adrienne Smith; her cousin, Robert Capps; and second cousin, Nick Cappazola; her stepdaughters and their husbands, Joan and Rick Rivera, and Karen and Joe Gonzalez; her stepsons and their wives, James and Leigh Ann Lujan, and Charles and Annette Lujan; her grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Dani Mosher, Jace Archuleta, Cip Archuleta, Patricia Jenkins, Christina Rivera, Sierra Lujan, and Diego Lujan; and one great-granddaughter, Elicia Rivera, from whom she earned her beloved nickname, Gigi.

Her wishes to be cremated and buried with her mother in Colorado along with the current pandemic circumstances will result in a private immediate family viewing only. However, a link to the Viewing is available for those who would like to attend from a distance via webcam. The link to the live-steam Viewing broadcast is listed below under "Services."  Please click on the box that reads: "Click here to Access the Video"

Condolences and wishes may be left on the tribute wall (select “Tribute Wall” tab above) . Since we cannot be together to honor her passing, please feel free to contribute pictures or memories to celebrate Diane.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to American Diabetes Association https://www.diabetes.org/ , JDRF https://www.jdrf.org/ or the Alzheimer’s Association New Mexico Chapter https://www.alz.org/newmexico . You are also welcome to donate to an animal charity of your choice. Acknowledgements may be sent to jglujan39@msn.com.

To send flowers to the family in memory of Diane K. Lujan, please visit our flower store.

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Friday, June 5, 2020

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