Diane Richards passed away on October 24, 2020, at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie Ontario with her family by her side. She is survived by her husband Peter, her two daughters Susan (Nelson, B.C) and Catherine (Barrie, ON), her four grandchildren: Lauren, Sarah, Aiden and Liam, and her son-in-law Nick. She will be sorely missed by her faithful companion Hershey.
Originally from Canterbury, New Brunswick, she met Peter while attending nursing school in Fredericton. They were happily married on September 16th, 1967. A job offer with Ontario Hydro for Peter in 1969 brought them to London Ontario where their two daughters were born. In 1981 they moved to Barrie where they have lived ever since.
Throughout her life, a bond with family in New Brunswick remained strong. Trips to the East Coast were a priority and allowed Sue and Cathy to make connections with cousins and grandparents there. Diane will be greatly missed by her surviving siblings (Donna, Malcolm and Marilyn) and numerous nieces and nephews.
As an operating room nurse at the RVH, Diane took great pride in her work and spoke fondly of colleagues and experiences in the orthopedic department. Her working years were some of the happiest of her life and her admiration for her peers and the friendships she made were ever-present in her memories.
After retiring, Diane spent many years volunteering in the community with the Barrie Film Festival and the MacLaren Art Centre. She loved music and theatre and was a long time member of the Barrie Concert Society. Attending these events with close friends filled her calendar post-retirement.
Perhaps her greatest happiness was found in the lives of her grandchildren. Diane had many wonderful memories of trips to British Columbia to spend time with Lauren and Sarah. She gave up trying to keep up with them on skis when they were quite young and was just happy to be with them. Diane was an almost daily fixture in the lives of her grandsons Aiden and Liam. They grew up knowing a hug from nana and a warm cookie could fix almost any problem. There was no prouder grandma in attendance at music recitals, school events or hockey games.
While she would never say no to a night at a 5-star hotel, Diane was just as happy to share a homemade meal around the table with her family and friends. Her love of cooking and food has been passed down to her grandchildren and will remain alive in some of her most memorable family recipes. Christmas was never complete without her pineapple squares.
We are looking forward to celebrating her life ‘in style’ sometime in July. A small family event will be held at Barrie Union Cemetery in the coming days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Online memories and condolences may be left at www.steckleygooderham.com