Diana (Bellar) Verlain

Diana (Bellar) Verlain, of Key West, Florida passed away after a short illness in Cookeville, Tenn. on Sept. 18, 2009. No services are planned. During her life, Ms. Verlain was an actress, writer, teacher, astrologer and community activist.

She is survived by her fiancé, Rakesh Mishra, Boca Raton, Fl.; mother, Reba Bellar (Dr. Frank Bellar, deceased), Lafayette, Tenn.; brother, Rick Bellar (Linda), Cookeville, Tenn.; brother, Jim Bellar (Kathy), Nashville, Tenn.; sister, Luanne
Bellar (deceased); nephews; Trey (Sarah) Bellar, Nashville, Tenn.;
Jonathon (Keisha) Bellar, Cookeville, Tenn.; Tye Bellar (Kindy Girdley),
Nashville, Tenn.; Aza Bellar (Yang Gao), Madison, WI; niece, Mya Bellar (Craig
Johnson), and grandniece, Amelia, Fairview, Tenn. Her life included many
careers including teaching ESL classes to inmates at the Key West correction
facility; producing, writing plays and acting in theatres in Key West, Los
Angeles and New York; and working with mentally challenged children and
adults in several states. Ms. Verlain was active in community causes and was
a founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) chapter in
Key West where she advocated for the rights of immigrants and inmates. A
lifelong learner and traveler, Ms. Verlain received a Master’s Degree and
completed the majority of work toward an EdS from Tennessee Tech University.
She lived in various locations including Virginia, Key West, Jacksonville,
Gainesville and Boca Raton, Florida; New York, New York; and Los Angeles
California. She lived for a year on a sailboat off the coast of Florida
where she completed a sailing certification. She also traveled extensively
across the U.S. and in Europe and South America. In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made to the Terminal Illness Fund, c/o Macon Helps,
Lafayette, Tenn.; Lafayette Public Library, Lafayette, Tenn.; Memorial Fund c/o
United Methodist Church, Lafayette, Tenn.