Diane Carole (Burckhardt) O'Toole

A visitation for Diane will be held Friday, May 24, 2024, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Edward F. Carter Funeral Home, 170 Kings Ferry Road, Montrose, NY

A mass of Christian burial will occur on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 10:30 AM at St Patrick's Catholic Church, 240 Eleventh St, Verplanck, NY.

An interment of ashes will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery 2070 Albany Post Rd, Montrose, NY 10548

-----------------------------

Diane Carole (Burckhardt) O’Toole, passed away in her sleep at her Hillsborough, NJ home on May 16, 2024, after a long struggle with diabetes. Diane was born on January 25, 1956, in Mount Vernon, NY to the late Carole (Rising) and the late Louis Burckhardt calling Bay Street on City Island and Paulding Street in the Bronx home until the family moved in 1960 to Cortlandt Manor, NY, formerly known as Peekskill.

Diane’s K-12 education took place in the Lakeland School District, starting at the Little Red Schoolhouse, a two-room building erected in 1772 and concluded at a high school which opened 200 years later in 1972, making Diane part of Walter Panas High School’s 2nd graduating class in 1974. She was the treasurer of her class, involved in clubs, and spent a great deal of time in the music corridor; both singing with the chorus and choristers and accompanying on piano. She also played french horn in the band and orchestra. Thanks to social media Diane has remained connected with many of the friends she made over 50 years ago.

She began her higher education at SUNY Oneonta before transferring to the westernmost SUNY member, Fredonia to pursue two of her passions, teaching, and music. While there, Diane discovered a new interest and became a die-hard fan of “the only true New York football team”, the Buffalo Bills.

After graduating with a bachelor’s in music education she taught in New York and Massachusetts and in honor of Larry Burns (WPHS Chorus Director) she invited past graduates to sing the final song at the annual Christmas concerts. Several years later, she left academia and returned to the New York Metro area. Some of her responsibilities while working for AT&T in White Plains, NY and Bedminster, NJ included training which kept her “teacher” spark alive. Upon leaving the corporate world she worked for Huntington Learning Center, and Sylvan Learning Center before establishing Tutoring by Diane where she privately tutored students of all ages specializing in high school math or SAT prep. Part of her compensation came from watching her students succeed.

After meeting online, Diane married her lifetime partner Mike in 2002 whom she was so grateful to, for caring for her, especially during the past several challenging years. They shared a love of a wide range of music and over the decades, they enjoyed common interests and supported others … spending weekends at their Berkshire home (one of Diane’s happy places), enjoying the quiet serene beauty and attending Tanglewood Concerts and when in New Jersey, listening to live music, and becoming “groupies” to some local bands. Depending on the season Diane cheered on the NY Yankees or Buffalo Bills, watching the games from home or at a sports bar. Diane was an avid reader, very active on Facebook, and also enjoyed watching TV; games shows, old sitcoms, like The Dick Van Dyke Show, and I Love Lucy and the Food Network which fed right into her love of cooking. Just two weeks before her passing, Diane was inspired to change that night’s menu while watching a cooking show. Despite requiring a wheeled stool to move about the kitchen, she got such joy in creating culinary delights, and the “cherry on top” was sharing her talent with the ones she loved.

She adored her sister, Laino, and cherished spending time with her niece/goddaughter, Carole. Although she had no biological offspring, she was a “mamma bear” and would defend and protect all those she loved including those with 4 legs. She is now reunited with her two cats; Snowflake, and Cinnamon, and four spaniels; Ebony, Tramp, Effie, and Guinness in heaven, which may give those who mourn some solace knowing Diane is receiving unconditional love and lots of kisses from her “furever” friends.

She is survived by her husband Michael O’Toole, her sister and brother (in-law) Elaine and Paul Sinacore; her niece/goddaughter Carole Sinacore; stepdaughters, Erin Carter Schneider, daughter of Philip Carter and Shauna Christine Mihalko, Mike's daughter; her aunt/godmother and uncle, Janet and Joeseph Hafemann; her sister-in-law, Kate Merritt-O’Toole; and four first cousins, Patricia (Dieter) Dose, Father George Hafemann, Mary Hafemann, and Paul Hafemann.

She was predeceased by her parents Carole (Rising) and Louis Burckhardt; her grandparents, Florence (Paganucci) and Robert Rising and Ethel (Roos) and George Burckhardt; first cousin, Jeanne McMullen; and her aunt and uncle, Ethel Marie & Edmund McMullen.