As I shared my future travel plans with New Mexico Alpha Barbara Diekman, I could sense that she truly believes that Pi Beta Phi is with you wherever you go. “It’s a sisterhood. Don’t just think [Pi Phi] is for college; it’s there for you always.” I could not agree with you more.
We shared a holiday cheesecake, and I admired the beautiful jewelry she wore. Barbara was adorned in beautiful turquoise jewelry – earrings, necklace, ring and a cuff bracelet – “it is the jewelry of New Mexico and Arizona”, she said with a smile.
Barbara speaks fondly of Albuquerque, where she met her husband and initiated Pi Beta Phi at the University of New Mexico. She shared that they moved a lot – Sacramento, Eugene, Seattle, and Phoenix – before settling in Oceanside, California. One thing was in common which each move, “I always connected to Pi Phi and had immediate friends!”
Barbara is an advocate for sincere friendship. Along the way, Barbara collected fond memories of couples barbeques with the Sacramento Alumnae Club, to decorating her home with her husband for the Christmas House Tour fundraiser with the Bellevue Alumnae Club, and of course the North County San Diego Alumnae Club holiday gift exchange she was participating in the night of our meeting. In fact, if you cannot come to the sisterhood, Barbara will bring it to you. She is praised by members of the alumnae club for monthly visits to see Michigan Beta Jane Holden Walker (who is active at 98 years young!) in an assisted living home, as well as coordinating group visits around holidays and special celebrations.
Barbara’s lasting friendships have no borders, and she is proud to have Pi Phi friends all over the country. She recalled attending a Pi Beta Phi leadership conference in Anaheim, and where she was matched with Oregon Alpha Donna Draper as her roommate. They got along so well that they keep in touch so many years later! Although Donna lives in Scottsdale, they maintain their strong friendship by traveling back and forth to visit each other each year and exchange emails almost every day. Barbara considers them to be bosom buddies and the two have traveled to Europe together. It is encouraging to see that the love of Pi Phis continues to grow in alumnae years too.
One more thing she wants to remind all Pi Phis, “at least one time in your life, go to Convention.” Great advice, Barbara! I hope to see you in St. Louis in 2017!