Normally, an obituary starts with basic demographic information and she likely wouldn't want us to talk about her at all but we're going to because she deserves it. If she did allow it, she would want hers to start like this: Meemaw loved her family. That’s what you need to know first.
She loved her children: Terry, Jessica, and Jason. Her husband Todd and beautiful grandson Chris who helped care for her. Her perfect granddaughters Madison and Isabelle and Alice Mae. Her brilliant younger grandsons Ethan and Tyler and Terrell and Tate. She would want you to know about them first.
And she loved 'daddy,' (who survives her in death) Howard and his wife, Brenda. She loved that he was a police officer and made her feel safe and loved. She'd want you to know that.
She loved her sisters Mary Anne And Tammy and Linda and Bobbi. She loved her nieces Rachel and Melissa and her ex-husband Terry and his wife Lynn. She loved her friends Rita and Penny--and so many more.
And she’d want you to know that she loved music: Bob Seger and Rod Stewart and Conway Twitty and James Taylor and Elvis Presley. She loved them as much as she loved coffee. She loved Scrabble and antiques and sewing machines and true crime shows and was fiercely intelligent and witty and could out-cuss any human alive.
But as much as she enjoyed things individually, she was at her best when she could fill her big heart with all of it: On a Sunday afternoon, drinking a cup of coffee sitting cross-legged in her chair by the door playing American Pie, her foot bouncing, her eyes full of life--scanning the room to find a room full of happy to be with her and her with them.
And she had opinions and would tell you about them but most of all, she’d want to tell you to protect children and think about others more than yourself. She’d tell you she hated football and loved to sleep and then she'd want to tell you how smart and beautiful and perfect her children and grandchildren were.
Then she’d allow you to know the demographic bits newspapers want to tell you about:
Diana was born on November 2, 1956 in New Albany, Indiana to Howard Swartz and Nedra Fisher. She was a 1974 graduate of Ahren’s High School. She worked as a florist, photographer, and in sales. She was full of charisma and life and vigor up until her last day alive.
Notably, she was preceded in death by her dearest sister Tammy. She's with Tammy now and they're both okay which means the family she's survived by is okay, too. Today, she is survived by a large family, including her loving husband, Todd (who was the most common target and audience of her wonderfully colorful language); her four children, seven grandchildren; her father; three sisters; and nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Family, friends, and others whose lives Diane touched are invited to Arch L Heady at Resthaven, 4400 Bardstown Rd on Wednesday, May 27 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
You did it, mom. Yeah, baby. You did it.
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