Obituary: Diane Janice (Schultz) Strassman - Class of 1970

OREGON - The beautiful life of Diane Janice (Schultz) Strassman, age 60, ended Feb. 23, 2013. She was surrounded and comforted by her family as she was listening to one of her favorite musicians, Tina Turner. Born April 16, 1952, in Madison, the third child of Donald and Eleanor (Lawry) Schultz, she graduated from Central High School in spring of 1970 and married her high school sweetheart Donald Strassman on Aug. 21, 1971. Diane and Don made life long careers together running an electrical business in the Madison area; Diane played a critical role as office manager of their self-started business, Capital City Electric. This allowed Diane to have a dual career as a stay-at-home and work-at-home Mom. Diane was often known to be up in the wee morning hours working the books for the business so that she could spend the days and nights providing a warm and loving home for her two children, and her four grandchildren who were the light of her life. Extended friends and family were always warmly welcomed into the home and many people think of Diane fondly as a "second mom" to them. Diane is famous for her singing skills, especially her ability to be the life of the party and find fun entertaining songs on Karaoke nights. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed creating dishes with her husband to share with the family. She truly enjoyed sitting outside and looking at the birds and her flowers and sipping a martini with the love of her life, Don. Most of all she loved being with family - she will be greatly missed for her unconditional love for all people from her husband, to her daughters, to her sons-in-law, to her nieces and nephews, brother and sisters, and all of the friends of those people...Diane had one of the most kind and genuine hearts anyone has ever seen. Her smile, warmth and true passion for caring was contagious. We will let it be known though that if you were to enter into a snowball fight with her, you were bound to lose! Although Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) made these things terrifically difficult for Diane to enjoy and partake in, everyone around her was moved by the strength and courage that she had to beat the disease for as long as she could. She is a gem, a true gift to the people who met her and to whom she was able to touch through the gift of her own life. Survivors include her husband of 41 years, Donald "Don" children Lynea (Aaron) LaVoy, Ashley (Brian) Anderson; grandchildren, Evelyn, Nolan and Alivia LaVoy, and Audrey Anderson; mother and father, Donald and Eleanor Schultz; brother, Gerald (Joan) Schultz; and sisters, Gloria (Tom) Swayzee and Karen (Dave) McGaw. She is further survived by her brother-in-law, David (Cheryl) Strassman; and sisters-in-law, Cindy (Roger) Beck, Cathy (Marva Becker) Strassman, Mary (Mark) Grosse, Christina (Jim) Nygren, and Lisa (Tom) Robson. Diane was preceded in death by her mother and father-in law, Grace and August Strassman. Funeral Services will be held at GUNDERSON OREGON FUNERAL HOME, 1150 Park St., Oregon, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and also on Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Memorial contributions are welcome to the family in lieu of flowers. The family would like to thank Agrace HospiceCare for their support and care, with special thanks to mom's Valentine's Melissa, Amanda and Jessica. Diane requested that people not wear gloomy colors to her services! Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com Gunderson Oregon Funeral & Cremation Care 1150 Park St. (608) 835-3515

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on February 25, 2013. Submitted by Michael Vahldieck (Class of 1968) 

 Diane Janice (Schultz) Strassman is a Madison Central High School alumna because she attended CHS for several years prior to transferring to James Madison Memorial High School, where she graduated in 1970, because Central closed in 1969.