b'106rylBarrowColleagueLongIslandUniversity,Friend20+yearsMeDearRuss,IbeginthislettertoyouonJune4th,Diannesbirthday.SheandIalwaysspokeonourbirthdaysandIwantedtopickupthephoneandwishherahappybirthday.Itisdifficulttobelievesheisnolongerwithus.DianneandIstartedworkingtogetherin1990inachaotic,unaccreditedprogramatLongIslandUniversity(LIU).Withinacoupleofyearsweknewitwasourchallengetogettheacademicandclinicalprogramsaccreditedorletthemclose.Welookedateachotherandknewwecoulddothis.Diannesaid,Iwilltaketheacademic,youtaketheclinicalandletsgo.Wemovedfurniture,wepainted,webeggedformoneyandsupportfromeveryadministratorwecouldfind.WegotyouandRickandthekidstohelpusonnightsandweekends.Weevengotajanitortoletusintoalockedatticinthelibrarytofindartworktohangonthewalls.Webaked,wecookedandcajoledtogetwhatweneeded.Oncewewereunderway,wetookturnsmakingpartiesinourbackyardstothankstaffandfacultyforanamazingteameffort.Webecameco-workersandfriendsthatsaweachotherasoftenas(andsometimesmorethan)wesawourfamilies.Forover25yearsweconfidedineachotheraboutlifeandloveandchild-rearingandaging.Wesharedsimchasandsorrows.Wesharedaprideinwhatweaccomplishedalongtheway.Eveninretirement,whenwewerenolongerphysicallytogether,wespokeonholidays,birthdaysandjusttosharegossip.Dianneholdsaverydearplaceinmyheart.Shewasstrong,determinedtoconquerobstacles,extremelyethicalandaconsummateprofessionalwhowasalwaysanadvocateforourstudents.ShewasmycolleagueandmyfriendandIamgratefultohavehadherinmylife.Shewillbeterriblymissedbyallofuswhowereluckyenoughtoknowher.HercommitmentandcontributionstoourprofessionwillbeevidentinthemanygenerationsofSpeech-LanguagePathologiststhatshehasguidedoverherillustriouscareer.WithloveandgratitudeforDianne,MerylBarrow'