Obituary of Diana LaRoe

LaRoe- Diana, age 82, of St. Petersburg, passed away Friday, July 15, 2005 at Palms of Pasadena Hospital while under the care of hospice. Born in New York City, she was a local performer, and at the age of nineteen, she left New York for Hollywood, California to fulfill her acting contract she received from Warner Bros. While traveling to Hollywood, she was critically injured in a car accident and was declared dead and placed in a hospital cooler for four days. She was later discovered to actually be alive but gravely injured. She remained in a coma for over a month and would later go on to publish her near death experience in one of several books she wrote titled "The Awakening". Following her accident, in 1943 she moved to Panama City, Florida. She became a substitute teacher for the Lake County public school system for many years. She received her Bachelor's Degree in English and was an ordained minister with the Divinity Church of Spirit Eternal, Panama City. She was a member of the South Panhandle Writer's Guild and Capstone House. Survivors include one son, Jim LaRoe of St. Petersburg; two daughters, Sally Rosenberg of Mexico and Betty LaRoe of New York City; four grandchildren and one great-grandson. No services will be held at this time. David C. Gross Funeral Homes and Cremation Center, Central Avenue Chapel, St. Petersburg is in charge of the arrangements. Service Information