In Loving Memory of Diane Snow
October 14, 1956 – November 6, 2026
An artist, a dreamer, a farmer, and a life beautifully lived.
Some people simply live life. Others turn it into a work of art.
LIMERICK- Diane Snow, 70, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2026, at her beloved Yellow Farm, with her two daughters, Christine and Ashley, and her life partner, Eric Peterson, lovingly by her side. It was a fittingly peaceful farewell in the place she had filled with so much life, creativity, laughter, and love.
Diane lived a magically charmed life, filled with creativity, adventure, laughter, music, animals, and an extraordinary love for the people around her. An award-winning artist, farmer, poet, musician, gifted chef, and self-proclaimed "screwball," Diane had a remarkable ability to make the ordinary feel extraordinary. Her life was as colorful and imaginative as the artwork she created, and she leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and beautiful memories.
Born on October 14, 1956, Diane grew up in Scarborough, Maine, where she spent her early years playing sports, traveling across the country, and enjoying life near the ocean. As a child, she especially cherished the time she spent on her family's dairy farm in Lewiston, Maine. Those early experiences fostered a lifelong connection to animals, agriculture, and the simple joys of farm life — passions that would eventually become such an important part of the world she created at Yellow Farm.
She graduated from Scarborough High School in 1975 before continuing her education at the University of Southern Maine, where she earned a degree in Marine Biology. Her connection to her hometown remained strong throughout her life. Most recently, she created a special piece of copper artwork depicting Scarborough's retired mascot for her 50th high school reunion, which was then reproduced on T-shirts for her fellow classmates.
An incredibly talented and award-winning artist, Diane built a life around her passion for creating. Her artwork took her across the country to renowned equestrian events, including the Rolex Horse Show, the National Morgan Horse Show, Cowboy Christmas, and countless others. Often, her daughters, Christine and Ashley, accompanied her on these adventures. What might have been ordinary business trips became unforgettable journeys filled with sightseeing, discovery, and memories — from Niagara Falls to museums celebrating Native American heritage and countless landmarks in between.
Her artistic talents knew no boundaries. She worked in watercolor, pen and ink, and countless other mediums, transforming everything from canvas and glass to hollowed gourds and even a moose scapula into works of art. She explored beadwork, knitting, stained glass, weaving, and whatever new creative pursuit caught her imagination. She was a lifelong student of art, always eager to learn from other artists and expand her abilities.
Much of Diane's artwork was inspired by the world she created around her. Yellow Farm itself appeared in countless pieces, from its historic buildings and peaceful landscapes to the everyday scenes of farm life she treasured. Her paintings were more than beautiful representations of a place; they were personal reflections of the home she loved and the life she had built there.
Horses were one of Diane's greatest lifelong passions. Over the years, she loved and cared for many, each with a special place in her heart. She immortalized them all through her artwork, capturing their individual beauty, personalities, and spirit. Alongside her horses, her beloved Great Pyrenees — the famous "Big White Dogs of Yellow Farm" — became recurring subjects in her creations. Through her art, the animals she cherished would always remain part of Yellow Farm's story.
Just as much as she loved learning, Diane loved teaching. At her beloved Yellow Farm, she welcomed friends and family for paint nights, encouraging everyone to discover their own creativity. She also offered more advanced classes, generously sharing her knowledge and experience with aspiring artists. To Diane, art was never something to keep to herself. It was something to share, celebrate, and pass along.
Diane was also a beloved presence in Limerick's local business and arts community. She opened a storefront on Main Street called The Runaway Cowgirls Hideout, a charming gallery and shop where she proudly showcased the creations of local artists alongside her own. Diane believed deeply in supporting her fellow artists and often spent more time promoting their work than her own. Their successes brought her genuine joy, and she was always eager to help others find an audience for their talents.
The Runaway Cowgirls Hideout was a reflection of Diane's spirit and the many influences that shaped her. She felt a deep connection to her Native American heritage while also being drawn to the independence, adventure, and romance of cowgirl life. These passions found their way into her artwork and, later in life, into the poetry she wrote. The shop was as full of personality as Diane herself, often watched over by Mac, one of the beloved "Big White Dogs of Yellow Farm," who became a familiar fixture among visitors.
Eventually, Diane brought The Runaway Cowgirls Hideout home to Yellow Farm, transforming the farmhouse's Great Room into a gallery filled with artwork, creativity, and community. She enthusiastically participated in local events such as the Snowflake Trail, opening her home and gallery to hundreds of visitors over the years. For Diane, sharing art was never simply about selling something. It was about connecting with people, celebrating creativity, and inviting others into her world.
Yellow Farm was never simply where Diane lived. It was an extension of who she was. A little world of her own making, filled with creativity, laughter, animals, gardens, music, and an ever-changing collection of people who found their way through its doors. It was a place where imagination was encouraged, where there was always room for one more at the table, and where visitors often arrived as strangers but left feeling like family.
Diane had a particularly deep affection for the history and character of Yellow Farm, especially its farmhouse and barn, dating back to 1750. She lovingly referred to the property as her "old tired farm," but where others might have seen weathered boards, aging beams, and endless projects, Diane saw beauty, history, and possibility. She took immense pride in restoring and caring for the old farmhouse and barn, always mindful of preserving their natural beauty, original character, and historical integrity. She believed the imperfections were part of what made the farm special. For Diane, restoring Yellow Farm was never about making something old look new; it was about honoring everything that had come before while giving it new life.
And in true Diane fashion, she couldn't resist adding a little of her own artistry to the home she loved. Above the fireplaces, she hand-painted murals depicting scenes of life around Yellow Farm, capturing the animals, landscapes, and everyday beauty that inspired her. These paintings remain a lasting and deeply personal mark on the historic farmhouse — a beautiful reminder that while Diane worked so lovingly to preserve the farm's history, she also became an inseparable part of its story. The farm was, in many ways, one of her greatest and most personal works of art.
For years, Diane hosted "Music Behind Yellow Farm," a beloved potluck gathering that brought local musicians, friends, and neighbors together for evenings of music, food, laughter, and revelry. She had a genuine curiosity about people and the world, and she delighted in bringing people together, whether they had known each other for decades or had only just met.
Diane also had a remarkable green thumb and a deep appreciation for growing her own food. Her gardens were another expression of her creativity and love of the land. In recent years, she developed a particular passion for growing garlic, carefully tending to her crops, harvesting and drying the bulbs, and enthusiastically sharing the fruits of her labor. Much like everything else at Yellow Farm, her garlic was never just for herself. Anyone who stopped by was likely to leave with a bundle of homegrown garlic and perhaps a few gardening tips to go along with it.
She was also an extraordinary cook and baker. Inspired by her grandparents and mother, and largely self-taught, Diane developed a talent in the kitchen that became legendary among those fortunate enough to experience it. She even turned her passion into a business venture, offering homemade prepared meals. But for Diane, cooking was always about something more than food. Feeding people was one of her greatest expressions of love. No one ever left Yellow Farm hungry, and rarely did anyone leave empty-handed. There was always a bag of homemade preserves, leftover dessert, fresh garlic, or some other delicious treasure pressed into their hands on the way out.
Her love for animals was just as boundless. Throughout her life, Diane opened her home and heart to horses, ponies, dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, cows, turkeys, and countless other creatures. She found joy in caring for them and sharing the rhythms of farm life with those around her.
And then there was "the big white dog at Yellow Farm."
Over the years, Diane shared her life with three beloved Great Pyrenees dogs, each becoming part of the farm's story and identity. She spoke fondly of "the big white dog at Yellow Farm," a familiar and cherished presence that found its way into so much of her artwork. These gentle giants became more than beloved companions; they were part of the magic of Yellow Farm, immortalized through Diane's creativity and forever woven into the place she loved.
Among her greatest joys were her grandsons, Liam and Eli. Diane treasured every opportunity to introduce them to the wonders of Yellow Farm — teaching them how to raise chicks, collect eggs, feed and ride horses, and appreciate the animals and nature around them. She shared her art supplies, musical instruments, imagination, and endless encouragement, giving them the freedom to explore, create, and simply be themselves. And, of course, there were her famous haystack cookies, which she loved making especially for Liam and Eli. Like so many things Diane did, those sweet treats were another way of showing her love, creating simple traditions and memories her grandsons will carry with them forever.
Diane's laughter was infectious, her sense of humor unforgettable, and her spirit wonderfully unconventional. She proudly called herself a "screwball," never taking herself too seriously and always finding a reason to laugh. She had a special gift for making people feel welcome, safe, loved, and filled with joy. Whether through a home-cooked meal, an unexpected gift, a shared song, or a hilarious story, she made the people around her feel that they belonged.
Alongside her beloved life partner, Eric Peterson, Diane created a warm and welcoming home at Yellow Farm. Together, they made it a place where people could gather, stay awhile, share a meal, and feel like family. Their life together was filled with the animals, friendships, creativity, and simple pleasures that Diane cherished so deeply.
Diane is survived by her loving life partner, Eric Peterson; her daughters, Ashley Rondeau and Christine Snow, and Christine's husband, Danny Lassiter; her cherished grandsons, Liam and Eli Lassiter; her sister, Marie Murphy; and her beloved animals, including her dog Chef, horses Summer Moon and Keeley, and her many cats.
She was predeceased by her parents, Teresa and Robert Murphy; her brothers, Dicky Murphy and Bobby Murphy; and her sister, Joann Murphy.
It is difficult to capture a life so full in just a few words. Diane was an artist in every sense — not simply because of the beautiful things she created, but because of the way she lived. She turned meals into celebrations, strangers into friends, ordinary objects into art, and a farmhouse into a place where memories were made.
Her greatest masterpiece was the life she created and the love she shared.
Yellow Farm will always hold pieces of Diane — in the gardens she tended, the garlic she grew, the artwork she created, the animals she loved, and the laughter that once filled its rooms. Her paintings above the fireplaces will continue to tell the stories of the farm she treasured, while the horses and big white dogs she so lovingly painted will live on through her art.
And while the world is a little quieter without her laughter, her spirit lives on in every brushstroke, every song, every shared meal, every seed planted, and every person who was lucky enough to find their way to Yellow Farm.
May we honor Diane by living a little more colorfully, laughing a little louder, welcoming one more person to the table, planting something beautiful, and never letting anyone leave without something sweet for the road.
A celebration of Diane's life will be held at her beloved Yellow Farm in the spring. In true Diane fashion, family and friends will gather for a potluck cookout, live music, laughter, and the sharing of memories — just the way she would have wanted it. Additional details will be shared in early May 2027."
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, East Waterboro, www.mainefuneral.com