Diane Jarosz, age 93, most recently of Tewksbury, MA, has passed away after a brief illness. Born Diane Cox to the late Ernest and Beatrice (Poole), she was raised in Cheltenham, UK, in the beautiful Cotswolds region of western England.
Diane was a superb athlete as a youth, particularly in track and field. As a specialist in the 100- and 200-yard dash, she attracted serious attention from British Olympic coaches as a potential member of the 1952 Olympic team. Soon thereafter she met her future husband, Edward Jarosz, who was stationed at nearby Brize Norton Air base with the US Air Force. After marrying in Cheltenham in 1955, they moved back to the US and settled in Edward's hometown of Lawrence, MA. She worked for many years at Tyer Rubber in Andover before they bought their first house in 1962 and had a son, David, one year later.
Diane was blessed with a warm and generous heart. She treasured interacting with children as a teachers aid in the Lawrence school system and was a very successful administrative placement specialist for more than a decade at Berkshire Associates in Andover. Diane cherished her family and friends, and loved to cook and host holiday celebrations, especially at Christmas. A lifelong animal lover, she was a doting mom to her furbaby, Sonya, and her many grandcats.
Once they retired, Diane and Edward enjoyed many years of travel, especially to and from England to spend memorable time with family and friends. They purchased a vacation home in Naples, FL in 1992 and a permanent home in Falmouth Cape Cod to enjoy seasonal split time. They loved their "snowbird" experience together for many years prior to Edward's passing in 1999. Afterwards, Diane settled in the beautiful West Meadow Hill community in Haverhill while continuing to relish in her snowbird lifestyle, enjoying a full social calendar with countless friends in Naples and family in Central Florida. She continued to travel frequently to England to stay with her beloved brother, John Cox, in Cheltenham, and also enjoyed many continental excursions with friends and family.
Diane was a courageous woman who possessed inner strength to persevere through extraordinary circumstances. As a child, she survived the blitz, persistent air raids and rations in WWII. At age 89, she overcame a hip replacement and bravely and thoroughly defeated advanced stage lymphoma two years later. In 2023, she consolidated her living arrangements and settled in Heatherwood in Tewksbury where she quickly became an active and beloved member of that community to both residents and staff members.
Diane is survived by her son, David, and his wife, Terri, of Tewksbury. She was the beloved aunt of Marilyn Bragg of Methuen, MA, St. John Cox of Taunton, UK, Fran Potvin of Mount Dora, FL, and great aunt to many nieces and nephews in the US and UK.
Please join us on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street, Tewksbury, from 3-5 p.m. to celebrate A Life Well Lived. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your charity of choice.