Extracted from The Palo Alto Daily News (Palo Alto, CA)
Friday, February 16, 2007

D. Helen Daigle

D. Helen Daigle, 87, of Palo Alto, died Jan. 26 following an illness.

She was born in 1919 in Cedar Grove, La., the daughter of a Methodist minister and one of six children. She attended Bethany College in Oklahoma and McNeese College in Lake Charles, La., graduating with an associate degree in music in 1939. She married Elvin Daigle in 1941, and the couple had three children. She and her family moved Palo Alto in 1956.

Daigle became one of Hewlett-Packard's early employees, working at the company's first facility on Page Mill Road. She was employed first as a secretary, then moved up to personnel, and administrative assistant to a vice president. She taught classes in the ``HP Way'' in the Employee Development Program, focusing on HP's corporate philosophy. She retired in 1982.

She was active in church and community throughout her life, led scout troops, taught piano and nutrition, wrote fiction and non-fiction for magazines, ran a printing business, was certified in graphoanalysis, and was an avid gardener. She sewed, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, and made preserves, jams and jellies.

Daigle lived with her husband for the last decade at Channing House in Palo Alto. She is survived by her husband of 65 years; their children, Charlotte Berney of Santa Fe, N.M.; Ronald Daigle of Redmond, Wash.; and Jeanie Forte of Palo Alto; their families; her sister Minnie Ruth Sayes of Lake Charles, La.; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; and many extended family members.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 24 at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 463 College Ave., Palo Alto. Donations can be made to the Wesley Methodist Church or to the Channing House Garden, 850 Webster St., Palo Alto, CA 94301.