Diana Diede Obituary

Diana Marcia Lueck was born May 4, 1944, to Dr. Alfred M. and Doris K. Lueck, joining her sister, Gretchen, to complete their family in Livingston. She passed away on July 28, 2010, in Emmett, Idaho.

Diana had an idyllic childhood in rural Montana, growing up with a love of the outdoors, developing a passion for horseback riding and an enjoyment of swimming. Known to her family and friends as DeeDee, Diana particularly enjoyed the summer times spent in Yellowstone National Park.

She was an excellent student and developed a lifetime habit of reading and enjoying a variety of books and writings. She graduated from Park County High School in 1962. She then attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., transferring to Montana State University to complete her degree as a registered nurse.

Diana married a fellow Montanan, Larry Paul Diede, on Sept. 2, 1967, at Mammoth Chapel in Yellowstone Park. She and Larry lived in many locations as they followed his career opportunities in the petroleum industry. Over the years they made their home in California; Butte; Louisiana; Colorado; Perth, Australia; Aberdeen, Scotland; and finally back to Denver, Colo. They had just moved to Emmett, Idaho, to make their retirement home.

Diana and Larry are the parents of two children; Paul Taylor, born in Louisiana in 1974, and Kristen Jon, born in 1976 in Denver.

Diana completed her master's degree in nursing at the University of Colorado and spent more than 40 years working in many disciplines in the nursing field. She excelled in the clinical areas as well and served as an instructor for both the Montana and Colorado university systems.

DeeDee participated in four triathlons and was proud to have completed the training and then the races themselves.

DeeDee and Larry thoroughly enjoyed traveling, and over the years visited every state and most of the national parks. Camping and hiking in the outdoors during the summer and skiing in the winter were cherished family activities. They recently went on an African safari, toured New Zealand and snorkeled in Belize.

She was so pleased to welcome her new grandchildren into her life: Penelope and Tomas Hall, and Alexandra Rand-Diede.

Diana is survived by her husband, Larry; her son, Paul Diede; her daughter, Kristen (Brian) Hall; her grandchildren; and her sister, Gretchen (Larry) Downer. She also leaves a large extended family and a lifetime of wonderful close friends.

A small memorial gathering was held in Idaho on Aug. 1, and a memorial reception will be held Aug. 8 at "The Pines in Genesee" in Golden, Colo.

Although a traveler of the world, her heart always reserved a special place for her roots in Montana and Yellowstone National Park.

Should you desire to do something in her memory, the family asks that contributions be made to the Yellowstone Park Foundation, 222 E. Main St., Suite 301, Bozeman, MT 59715.