Dianne Powers Orlesh

Dianne Powers Orlesh passed away July 28, 2014, at the age of 74. A native of New Orleans, she received her undergraduate degree from Dominican College and her Masters degree in speech pathology from Tulane University Medical School. She was employed in the Jefferson Parish School system from 1968 through 1996 serving the majority of her tenure in the system as Coordinator of Speech, Language and Hearing Services. Under her administration there, the Speech, Hearing and Language Department received the designation "Best Parish Speech Program" in the state from the Louisiana Speech and Hearing Association (LSHA) in 1991. Dianne received Honors of the Association from LSHA for outstanding contributions to the association and was president of LSHA from 1991-1992. She was also named a Fellow of the Association in 1992 in recognition of more than 10 years of service. In addition to her service in LSHA, Dianne was a member and served as chairperson from 1987 -1990 of the Louisiana Board of Examiners of Speech Pathology and Audiology and she was a long-time member and served on the national level in the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association maintaining a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology with the organization. She was a co-leader of the Westbank Jesters MS Support Group and a tireless worker with the Helping Hands group at Trinity Lutheran Church.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 52 years, J. Michael Orlesh ; her daughters, Jennifer Orlesh Zitt (Tom) and Jan Orlesh Conway (Francis); her four grandchildren, Evan Zitt, Isabel Zitt, Abigail Conway and Emily Grace Conway; her sister, Gail Powers Wilty; her nieces and nephews, Michel P. Wilty, Autumn Wilty McCowan (Charles) and Roy H. Wilty (Catherine); and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Austin B. Powers and Freda M. Powers.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algiers Point at 11:00 AM Friday, August 1,2014. The service will be preceded by a visitation beginning at 10 AM. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in honor of Dianne Orlesh to Trinity Lutheran Church, Algiers Point. The family would like to express their thanks and deepest appreciation to the staff members of the CICU at Ochsner Hospital and the members of the TAVR team for their kind, considerate, and professional treatment of their wife, mother and grandmother.