Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, October 1, 2020 at McEwen Funeral Home - Pineville, 10500 Park Rd., Charlotte, NC 28210. Visitation will precede the service from 10:00 am – 11:00 am. A small reception will be held at McEwen immediately after the service. Burial will be private at Forest Lawn East Cemetery.
Diane was born in the Los Angeles town of Glendale on August 23, 1944 to the late Wesley Lee “Jack” Edmunds and Doris Rae Greene Edmunds. In addition to her parents, Diane was preceded by a son, Jeffery Allan Huddleston and a daughter, Jill Alise Huddleston.
Diane led a colorful and full life. After moving from the West coast as a young bride and mother, she made an impactful mark on Charlotte. Early on, she worked as an Orthodontist Asst. She was a retired US Postal Worker who has served on the Charlotte Postal Credit Union (now NOVA) Board of Directors for a number of years. In between she was a bit of an entrepreneur and jack (jill?) of all trades. At different times her varied work was as follows: social worker for CMS, owned an auction house, owned a secondhand store in what is now South End, a taste test cooker at Belk, a phonebook deliverer, a concession worker at the old Griffith Park, just to name a few. She was an accomplished stained-glass maker who sold and gave away many of her works. She was a Daughter of the American Revolution and an avid Genealogist.
She also made an impact at Starclaire Athletic Assn. where her children played sports. She coached girls’ softball for many years and served as the Softball Commissioner. She also ran the concession stand for a number of years at the Pop Warner football games. In addition, she played womens’ softball, was a league bowler and an Olympic-level swimmer in her youth.
She and her husband Jim traveled all over the US and the world. Having grown up as an Air Force brat who lived in Japan during her middle and high school years, she loved the thrill of inter-continental travel.
Later in life, she fought a hard but graceful battle against muscular dystrophy, the disease that contributed to her passing. She never lost hope of being cured. She never complained, or lost her zest for life, despite losing two children as young adults. She participated in the raising of her grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) and took special delight in spending time with them all. She always made them feel special. To the very end of her life.
She is survived by her husband, James Rich; son, Jack “Skip” Huddleston and his wife, Linda Kelley Huddleston; sisters, Barbara Leard and Jackie Reed; grandchildren; Erik Davis and his wife Nina, Bryce Davis, Allie Huddleston, Jacob Huddleston & Rhett Huddleston; great-grandchildren Ezra & Elise Davis and many, many nieces and nephews.
The family is super-thankful to the Hospice workers who assisted her and to the attendants from Golden Hearts. Memorials may be made to Muscular Dystrophy Assn. (MDA) at www.mda.donordrive.com.
Online condolences may be shared at www.mcewenpinevillechapel.com.
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