Why do favorite authors have to die?

It's happened again.  One of my favorite authors, Diana Wynne Jones, recently died and there have been many blogs written in response.  Since I never personally knew her, I am grateful to those who were able to share some of their memories with us, like Patricia Wrede, Robin McKinley, Neil Gaiman, and Emma Bull. 

I began reading her books in the 1970.  Because I was a young mother, married to a college student, one of my favorite places to visit was the local public library. Since there was no inter-library loan in those days, I was stuck reading whatever the library had in their possession.  I do remember reading Dogsbody, Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, and The Spellcoats.  I think I also read Charmed Life, The Magicians of Caprona, The Homeward Bounders, Witch Week, Howl's Moving Castle, and Archer's Goon at this time.

Then we moved again to a town where the library did not have any of her books and no way to request them.  One day, while visiting a local bookstore I found the complete Dalemark series including the fourth one, which I had not read.  I decided to splurge and get it.

Once the library had free inter-library loan available I made sure to request all of her books that I could.  I made sure to introduce my children to this wonderful author.