Claudine Diana Poggi

Dina moved from New York to San Francisco when she was 21 to pursue her dreams. In her life, she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and nearly a Ph.D. She lived and traveled all over the world, and especially enjoyed the few years she spent living in Taiwan learning to speak Mandarin, as well as her time spent in Hawaii. She was a brilliant person when it came to knowing a lot about different languages.

 

She became a community college teacher at De Anza College in Cupertino, where she worked for 25 years teaching ESL and Linguistics. She touched many lives in her profession, and she always shared stories of former students sending her letters, telling her how much of an impact she had on them and their careers. Dina was also an amazing artist who loved to make quilts, masks, and sculptures.

 

Her son shared that he always felt like he could talk to his mom about anything and that he never had to hide who he was from her. She made everyone feel like they could be themselves around her, especially her goofy husband Patrick (whom she adored), who had a lot of weirdness to offer the world. She was not only a wonderful mother, but a close friend to many, and her presence is already dearly missed. Dina leaves behind a wonderful legacy and a truly unique and interesting life that only a few people get to experience.

 

Cherish the time you have with your loved ones because it is never truly enough.