When Diana Joy moved to Madison about three years ago, she frequently passed San Damiano and admired its peaceful lakefront, stately trees, and greenery. “It was so serene and welcoming,” she says, “but I assumed it was private property.” Curiosity led her online, where she discovered its rich history and that it was open to the public. “When I saw the volunteer form, it was a no-brainer!”
Since then, she’s become a part of the volunteer community with Friends of San Damiano. One of Diana’s favorite volunteer memories was working the grill at this year’s August Biergarten event celebrating WVMO’s 10th anniversary. “The people, the music (Wheelhouse!), and the energy were incredible!”
San Damiano holds personal importance, especially because of its layered past. “The connection to the Ho-Chunk people and the eclectic history of the Frank Allis house makes this space deeply meaningful. Preserving its natural beauty and cultural history for future generations is our responsibility as a community.”
Diana brings that same care to her professional life as a hospice nurse and founder of Joyful Aging, LLC, which helps seniors maintain dignity and independence. In her free time she’s outdoors, be it kayaking, gardening, walking her pups, or indoors with canning and baking, always ensuring there’s enough to share. Diana also cherishes time spent with her two adult sons and a daughter-in-law, who mean the world to her.
A fun twist of fate once reminded her of life’s magic. In 2020, Diana was contacted by a childhood friend, letting her know that his children had found a “message in a bottle” with a special connection to her. Diana had placed the bottle in the Kickapoo River when she was 10 years old because she had wanted to find more friends! Forty years later, that bottle had floated just 3 miles from where it had originally been placed. Diana was a traveling nurse in Northern California at the time of this contact and news, with the pandemic underway and she was alone, away from home. “It was an uplifting and heartwarming incident that brought such light to my life,” she says.
As for San Damiano’s future, Diana says she’s looking forward to watching the project unfold as San Damiano transitions into a new chapter, witnessing and celebrating growth and progress. “I can’t wait to see this magical space become yet an even larger part of the community.”
