Diana Durham's Obituary
Decatur – Diana Marie Durham, 62 , of Decatur, passed away at 9:05 pm Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at Decatur Memorial Hospital.
Services to celebrate Diana’s life will be held 2:00 pm Sunday, February 14, 2010 at Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services. Interment will be with her beloved family in Fellowship Church Cemetery, near Cincinnati, Ohio later this month. No services will be at the gravesite. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, 2300 N. Edward, Decatur, Illinois, 62526. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
Diana was born May 23, 1947 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Jack. Sr, and Garnet (Snider) Durham.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Diana moved to central Illinois in 1984 to join the Nuclear Controller’s staff @ Clinton Power Station, Clinton, Illinois. In October 2009, she celebrated 25 years of devoted service and retired from the Business Operations department as a financial analyst. Diana was a faithful and fiscally responsible contributor to the success of Clinton Power Station. She was on the Emergency Response Organization team (ERO) at CPS for many years and enjoyed being on the Diversity Council and also the Safety Committee. A tireless worker for the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure”, she also spent many hours tutoring local school children. She was affiliated with Toastmasters International and dearly loved her Toastmasters group which met at the Clinton Power Station. She loved district competitions and was a very effective competitor!
Planning to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee in March 2010, Diana had travel plans and was looking forward to many trips to Las Vegas with her dear friend, Judy Lynch. Diana loved the large production stage shows, her favorite being “Phantom of the Opera” and “Mamma Mia”. And, of course, there were the casinos! Many weekends, Diana would head for the boats in Peoria and Joliet. Diana was a loving daughter and a devoted sister, caring for her parents and younger brothers, David and Jack, for so many years. All have preceded her in death. Recently, her dear family pet, Bear, (a large black dog), at 14 years old, passed….she missed him so much. She and Bear spent many mornings walking before Diana went to work and he was a constant companion in the evenings. Diana’s co-workers knew her to be honest, forthright, and resourceful. They will miss her. She cared deeply for those closest to her and was a faithful friend.
Left to cherish her memory are her dear friends of 25 years, Judy Lynch, Elizabeth Hardcastle, and Cheryl Hubner.
Diana’s strength of character and clever wit never faltered; her spirit was unfettered by pain and discomfort. She is now truly, free and joyous!
Her parents, Garnet and Jack, Sr., and two younger brothers, David and Jack, preceded her in death.
We wish to thank the surgery and ICU staffs at Decatur Memorial Hospital for their professional, attentive care. And for the many doctors who attended Diana, we thank you.
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