Diana Kay Jenness

Diana Kay Quilici was born on October 16, 1945, in Portland, Oregon, to Betty Lou Ramsay Quilici and Charles Quilici. She was raised in an Italian household; spent her childhood at her grandmother’s knees, learning about Lucca, where her family came from. As an only child she was doted on by all, raised in a home of love and care.

Diana grew up in Portland, and it was in Portland that she discovered and nurtured her passions: family and teaching. She met, fell in love, and married James Jenness; she graduated from Portland State University.

James was in the military, stationed first in Germany, then Texas. Diana began her teaching on an army base in Berlin. In Texas, she continued teaching, taking time to adopt and raise a pet duck.

Diana and James returned to Portland where they would spend the rest of their lives together. Diana taught at different schools throughout the Portland area before settling in at Rigler Elementary School, teaching First Grade. Diana loved her job, spending long hours developing lesson plans and creating a room atmosphere that was welcoming to all students.

In 1971, Diana had her first child: Randolph Jenness. In 1973 and 1977 her next two came: Brian Jenness and Stacey Jenness.

Even during life’s ebbs and flows, Diana never lost sight of what mattered most: her family and her students. She balanced her life between the two, never unsteady in her dedication. During her many years of teaching, she touched many students lives through her compassion and commitment.

Diana was a devote Catholic, not a Holiday Only Catholic, but a Catholic that tried to live up to her moral beliefs. She was a leader at Ascension church, sang in the choir, and dedicated her time to helping set up and run a Homeless Shelter within the church. Even when the shelter was closed down, Diana continued to work with nonprofit groups dedicated to the homeless, soliciting donations to local shelters and helping draw attention to the growing plight of the homeless.

When tragedy hit and Jim was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, Diana never wavered in doing everything she could to ease her husband’s slow decline. She lost her love in 2012, breaking her heart.

Diana never let her grief overwhelm her passion for life. She continued on, trying to enjoy her golden years. Now retired, she embarked on her first of many travels to Europe with her friends, visiting her family’s hometown of Lucca and seeing the home her grandmother grew up in.

Diana was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. She spent her last few years with family and friends, enjoying wine with her support groups, watching her grandchildren grow up, and relaxing and watching her numerous crime shows and Hallmark movies.

Diana passed away on September 18, 2022, with her sons and daughter at her bedside.

Diana leaves behind her son Randy, his wife Kristi, and their children Daisy and Josie; her son Brian; and her daughter Stacey, Stacey’s husband James, and their children Alexis, Grace, and Rylee.

Diana believed in Heaven; she no doubt resides there, reunited with her husband and her grandchild, Liam.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00pm on September 30, 2022 at Ascension Catholic Church.