Diane Marie Keeley Lemieux, 73, passed peacefully early Saturday morning, November 15th, surrounded by love.
Diane lived a life defined by strength, kindness, and an unwavering sense of quiet joy. In the later part of her career, she dedicated her talents to organizations she believed made the world a better place, serving as a bookkeeper for her church and for the Arc of Blackstone Valley. Her work reflected her deep commitment to helping others and her belief in lifting up her community.
Above all else, Diane was a devoted and extraordinary mother to her daughters, Erin and Jen, and a cherished grandmother to Isabelle and Celia, who were the great joys of her life. Her family was her heart, her grounding, and her proudest accomplishment.
Diane met life with curiosity and quiet joy. She loved technology, musicals, The Hunger Games, and staying connected with friends and loved ones. She also had a wonderfully silly, playful streak, a lightness that surfaced in her goofy jokes, her unexpected bursts of sarcasm, and her ability to turn even ordinary moments into something joyful. Her generosity, warmth, humor, and vibrant spirit touched everyone she met.
Born with challenges that doctors once believed she would not overcome, Diane spent her entire life proving limits wrong, with her doctors giving her the title “the most chronically ill healthy person” they’d ever met. Told she might not survive infancy, and later, that she would never excel intellectually, she rose to the top of her high school class and graduated summa cum laude with a double major from Bryant University. She faced down stage IV breast cancer, lifelong heart valve defects, and major heart surgery with remarkable discipline, courage, and even a quiet delight in surpassing every expectation placed before her.
Despite the hardships she endured, Diane never complained, never cast herself as a victim, and never lost her positivity. She met each day with grace, gratitude, and an open heart, offering kindness without hesitation.
Diane is also survived by her sister, Patricia Andrews, and her nieces and nephews, all of whom we’re holding in our thoughts as we remember her with love. She’s now reunited with the siblings and parents who passed before her and whom she has missed so deeply.
Diane’s legacy is one of love, resilience, radiant generosity, and a playfulness that reminded others not to take life too seriously. She will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her, and her strength, humor, and compassion will continue to inspire those she leaves behind.