March 3, 2010

Holy Family sacristan Diane Case dies

By Roxanne King

Betty “Diane” Case, longtime sacristan of Holy Family Church in northwest Denver, died Feb. 23. Although her age was a well-guarded secret, her sister said she was in her 70s.

She grew up in the parish she faithfully served for 32 years.

“Diane was the face of Holy Family,” said Carolyn Lutito, parish business manager. “She was the first person you saw when you came into the church.”

Her curly blond hair, round face and large eyes were unforgettable.

“The people (of Holy Family) were extremely dear to her,” said her sole sibling, Frances Jansen, adding that her sister had no children. “I have my husband and children and they adored her, but her family was Holy Family.”

Born in Denver to John and Nettie Wiest, she attended local public schools before entering Loretto Heights College, where she earned a practical nursing degree and an X-ray technician’s certificate.

She met James Case, a doctor in cancer research and former U.S. Army captain, while interning at St. Anthony Central Hospital. They married in 1956. Her husband died in 1983 after a 15-year illness.

She began working as sacristan at Holy Family in 1968. Over the years, in addition to her sacristan duties taking care of the church, she also took Communion to the homebound, trained altar servers and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and led wedding and funeral rehearsals. For a time she also served as parish bulletin editor.

“Diane had a great love for the altar servers and was very diligent in her training,” said Father James Moreno, pastor of the parish. “She ran a tight ship in the sacristy; she had a long history serving the priests of this parish and had an amazing number of wonderful anecdotes about them. Over the years Diane became not only a big support to me, but also a dear friend.”

Friends and family said she had a generous heart, loved animals and was very funny.

“She had the most droll sense of humor,” said Jansen. “She was a delightful person and always very much a lady.”

In and out of the hospital with a variety of complications since suffering a heart attack on her birthday Jan. 4, she died in the hospice of the hospital she once interned at. Despite her suffering, she never complained and remained ever hopeful and optimistic.

“Diane believed in the will of God and the love of God,” said Jansen, “but she wasn’t one to sit around and act pious and holy.”

“She will be greatly missed,” said Father Moreno. “She leaves a long legacy at Holy Family born of her deep love for the church and for her priests.”

Services will be at Holy Family, 4380 Utica St. They include a rosary 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4 and a funeral Mass 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 6, followed by a reception.