Diane Evans

On the evening of October 28, 2022, Diane Elaine (Schwartz) Evans was received at last into the arms of Jesus. Her 75 years on this Earth were gift to all who were privileged to know her. While she battled Alzheimer's bravely for the last 14 years, that will not be her legacy. Her legacy is love. As her children our greatest gift is the love story she shares with her husband David, her beloved for 53 years. They met in 1968 when they were both young and working at the convalescent hospital in Lodi California. They married June 22, 1969, with little money and no prospects but they had each other and that was all they needed. Theirs is a love story for the ages. Despite the struggles and challenges that 53 years and 3 children can bring, they always remained devoted to each other, supporting one another through better and worse. Many remark on the incredible devotion that our father, Dave, had for Diane as Alzheimer's slowly took her, but he would tell us that Mom gave him all her best years, how could he do any less for her now when she needed him most? Their love for each other is a beacon of hope for all who witnessed it. As their children, we hope to be so blessed as to have even a glimpse of that kind of love. Our Mother, Diane, was without a doubt our hero, best friend, and greatest cheerleader. She was devoted to us while still being her own person and taught us that you can do everything you dream. She sewed our clothes, canned every food imaginable, she was an awesome cook, PTA president, room mom, and homework checker. She read us books, played games, and the memories of our family vacations keep us laughing until our sides ache. She went back to school to become a nurse while we were young and her example of sacrifice and dedication inspire us still. She was healer both at home and to all she came in contact with. When we each married she loved our spouses in equal measure. Always supportive and always wanting our happiness. But we believe the job she loved best of all was being a Nana. Known to her 4 beautiful grandchildren as "Nana Tickle", she was larger than life and always ready with love and hugs. She made songs for her grand babies, crocheted blankets, and would do anything for them. They were her brightest jewels in a very crowded crown. The love she had for her family seemed without bounds. It began of course at first with her parents Jeanette Emhoff and John Henry Schwartz. She loved her parents with all her heart and we know that they ushered her into the gates of heaven. Her beloved brothers and their families meant the world to her and even in her last days their names brought a smile to her lips. She loved her inlaws just as much and the Evans family felt as close as if she had been with them her whole life. She was always the life of the family gatherings with her silliness, fun, and laughter. As her children we also know that our mother's greatest legacy of love lies with her Lord and Savior Jesus. Our mother loved the Lord with all her heart, with all her mind, and with all her strength. It is this love that gave her the courage to fight as long as she did. We take some comfort in the knowledge that she is now singing the Hallelujah chorus with the angels and helping to prepare our homes. For now we grieve with weight of a great love lost.