Diane was born in Princeton, New Jersey. Her true hometown was Manhassett, Long Island, where she grew up and went to high school. Diane was raised primarily by her grandparents, and it became obvious early that she was no ordinary mortal. Her athletic prowess was ever-expanding, and Lacrosse was her sport of choice.

A two-time All American in high school and at Penn State, perhaps no other factor more defined Diane's life than her athletic talent and drive. She was among a very few elite athletes in this country, twice a member of the World Cup team in Lacrosse. After she and Sharon Smith met and Diane moved to San Francisco, she came within seconds of qualifying for the 1996 Olympic Team in the 800 meters.

Her failure to make the team was one of the most crushing disappointments of her life. She became a coach and teacher when she assumed the position as the Lacrosse coach at St. Mary's college. She was a beloved and memorable mentor.

On January 25, 2001, Sharon and Diane were living their lives as a committed lesbian couple. Together for seven years, their lives were filled with friends, work, travel, early-morning runs and a few quiet dinners alone. They planned to continue mingling their hopes and dreams well into the future. They had begun plans to have a child.

But suddenly, the day after, Sharon's life with Diane ended in a most gruesome and unimaginable way. Diane was savagely attacked and killed in the hallway of her San Francisco apartment building by two Presa Canario dogs in the presence of one of their owners, next-door neighbour Marjorie Knoller.

Sharon became an outspoken advocate for her lover's memory. The horrible incident led to change in California law to allow Whipple's partner to sue the dog's owners over her death. A San Francisco judge agreed and ruled that Sharon did have a legal right to proceed with her lawsuit.