Diana was born on April 28, 1961, in Trenton, Missouri, to Herbert Ray Dowell and Mary Alice Dowell.
Diana is not an easy person to summarize in a single obituary. She packed a lot into her 60 years. Diana lived her life on her terms. “Go Big or Go Home,” she would say — and boy did she go BIG! She will be remembered for many things, but most of all, her caring nature, and the many ways she made a difference for others.
Diana was a brilliant and outstanding lawyer. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from the UMKC School of Law in 1986. From there, she took the courtroom by storm. She specialized in medical malpractice defense, primarily representing hospitals and doctors for 34 years. She retired from Horn Aylward & Bandy, LLC, in 2020. She was widely respected in the legal community, even by opposing counsel! Diana was a consummate professional, serving on the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Bar Foundation. She took great pride in being part of the Foundation’s work benefitting Operation Breakthrough. Diana tirelessly mentored young lawyers and saw potential in others, even when they didn’t see it in themselves.
Her legal colleagues said it best about Diana:
“She adopted every client she ever represented into her ever expanding family circle ... She was raucous, loud, hilarious and loads of fun to be with. The sound of her laughter, coming from her office, could easily be heard at the far ends of the office hallways. From her sartorial tastes to her view of the world, Diana was one of a kind.”
She loved her family with all her heart, especially her sister Karla and her three children. Diana was like a second mother to them and delighted in watching them grow and develop. They enriched her life, and her pride in them was immeasurable.
She was a devoted wife. She married Randy Stuart Jordison in 1999, a dear high school friend, after a fateful reconnection. They were meant to be and truly inseparable. Their life together was filled lots of laughter, time on the golf course, travel to far flung places, fun spent watching the Chiefs and enjoying their pets, especially her beloved dog Rex Ray.
Diana was dynamic and rare. She had a unique gift of making people feel better just by being in her midst. No one will ever forget Diana’s huge smile, larger-than-life personality and a tell-tale, ornery twinkle in her eye. She truly lit up a room and knew how to have fun, even when her health was challenged. In true Diana form, she didn’t go down without a fight. She chose to make every day count and will be forever missed for her beautiful spirit.
Diana was preceded in death by her father Herbert Ray Dowell and mother Mary Alice Dowell. She is survived by too many friends to count, her husband Randy Jordison and her sister Karla Dowell Worthington and brother-In-Law Jeff Worthington, along with their children, D. Tyler, Turner and Tate.
Everyone knows of Diana’s love of flowers but she also loved our furry friends . If anyone would like to donate in her name, it would be greatly appreciated also. Donations can be made to Antioch Dog and Cat Hospital, 5200 NE Vivion Road Kansas City, MO 64119
A visitation for Diana will be held Friday, January 21, 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, a Celebration of Life will occur the following day on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 1:00 PM, both at White Chapel Funeral Home 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, MO 64119. Diana will then been taken to Hillcrest Cemetery, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024 for a graveside service. All are welcome to attend.
PALLBEARERS
Jeff Worthington
D Worthington
Turner Worthington
Brent Wright
Kendall Schoonover
Josh Mawby
Mark RagarHonorary
Terry EllettHonorary
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