Diane Sciacca

With deep sadness, we announce that Diane Sciacca, 51, of Chicago, Illinois passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2019, with her friends and family by her side, after a long and brave battle with cancer. Her continued strength, optimism, and fighting spirit speak to the character of this remarkable woman.

The wake will be held on Sunday, July 21st from 3-7pm, Drake & Son Funeral Home,

5303 N. Western Ave. The Funeral Mass is Monday, July 22nd at 10am, Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside Ave. A Life Celebration will immediately follow in the Lower Church.

Diane was born on August 29, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Westchester, Illinois, in 1985. She earned her BA in International Relations and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989 and her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1993. After clerkships with US Bankruptcy Courts in Louisiana and Illinois, she served for two years as an associate at McDermott, Will, and Emery. In 1998, she began a long career at JPMorgan Chase. There, she developed a specialization in foreign exchange derivative transactions and ultimately served as executive director and assistant general counsel. In 2015, she moved to Wells-Fargo, where she was senior capital markets counsel.

Throughout her career, Diane was committed to mentoring and pro-bono work. At Loyola School of Law, she served on the Dean’s Diversity Council, and in 2011 was awarded the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Alumni Award, recognizing her “outstanding professional achievements and significant contribution to the legal community.” At JPMorgan Chase, she served on the Pro Bono Committee, the Legal Diversity Committee, and the National Steering Committee for the Volunteer Leadership Group. In 2011, she was awarded the JPMorgan Chase Good Works Volunteer of the Year award in recognition of her “dedication and commitment to community service and volunteerism, and for being an exemplary champion of service in the community.” Diane was a board member at Connections for Abused Women and their Children, and the Midwest Minority In-House Counsel Group. She was a fellow in the Class of 2012 of Leadership Greater Chicago.

Although her career achievements were many, Diane will be remembered most for her fierce love of family and friends and her indomitable spirit. She had the rare quality of someone who excelled at everything and at the same time was genuine, generous, and disarming, never making those around her feel less than perfect. Her amazing ability to organize and coordinate events, dinners, travel, playdates, block parties, birthday parties, and spa dates earned her the nickname of “cruise director.” She was the go-to research queen and epic spreadsheet maker for any topic under the sun, from the detailed lawn care routine she shared with neighbors to the alphabetized accordion file of delivery/take-out menus to the “quizlets” she composed and shared to help her kids and their peers study for science and social studies tests. If online shopping were an Olympic sport, she would have five gold medals and a cereal box endorsement. She loved puttering around in her beautiful yard and lovingly took care of her plants and flowers. Her house was a gathering space for neighbors and friends - especially on her favorite holiday of Halloween. Her spooky decorations drew trick-or-treaters from all over the neighborhood. She enjoyed every minute of it, dressing up like a witch or a unicorn beanie baby or a 70s roller derby star.

Diane loved her boys more than anything: She painstakingly painted a Dr. Seuss mural on the nursery wall while seven months pregnant, created fantastic Halloween costumes, tirelessly helped her boys with homework, and threw epic birthday parties. She enjoyed taking them to events all over Chicago - to Lollapalooza, concerts, ball games, the Star Wars convention. She imparted to them her love of travel and adventure by taking them to the Bahamas, Disney, Seattle, San Diego and most recently to Costa Rica, where even as she fought cancer, they ziplined and swam together.

Although in the last few years she was battling cancer, no one who encountered her would have ever known due to her strength and optimism. Diane maintained her sense of humor even in the darkest of times.

Diane is survived by her children, Evan, 13, and Grayden, 11; her mother, Chong Jessien; and her husband, Scott Loidl. She’s also survived by a large, loving squad of friends, and her beloved pug Skippy.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Diane Sciacca Trust, dedicated to the care and education of her boys, are appreciated. Checks should be made out to the Diane Sciacca Trust and can be submitted to either of the co-trustees: Julie Artis, 4449 N. Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 or Karie Valentino, 1962 W. Winona Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.