Diane Joy Kelly
Jul 24, 1940 -
Apr 7, 2023
She called herself The Queen. Her throngs of admirers happily followed suit! The Queen was an adoring daughter, sister and cousin, devoted wife of nearly 53 years, loving mother to five sons, doting Nana to five grandchildren, inspiring teacher to generations of elementary school children and treasured friend to anyone lucky enough to cross her path. She passed peacefully on April 7, 2023, surrounded by love.
She treated family pets like people, doling out treats and affection to cats, dogs and even frogs. She was a world class hugger with a winning smile. Her presence was luminous and magnetic. She was tough as nails but gentle as a breeze. In a pickle? Diane had your back and then some. Causing trouble? She'd call you out and might even join in the hijinks. But if you wronged her family? She brought on ferocity with finesse. Don't mess with The Queen.
Diane Joy Gasperlin, born in July 1940, grew up in Ely, Minn., a small town nestled in the northern lakes. In her own words: "Our home was not fancy but it was warm and inviting and one could feel the love in there. Maybe that was the heat coming from the wood stove!" She was often called Little Frank after her father, as they had an especially close relationship. Diane shared magical memories of canoeing out to her uncle's cabin for sleepovers with her cousins, climbing the fire lookout tower in the woods as a teen, canning vegetables at home with her mother and spending winter nights in the village sauna. Diane spoke of her childhood like she was spinning a fairy tale and admired big sister Laverne like a princess!
Diane graduated from Bemidji State University in Minnesota with a degree in education. Ever the adventurer, she journeyed to Alaska back in 1965 to teach elementary school on Elmendorf Air Force Base. During those wild early days in Anchorage, Diane grew close with her fellow teachers, forming bonds that became lifelong friendships. Their shenanigans were nothing short of legendary! The Queen honed her party skills back in the day and kept her love for a good time to the end.
Young Diane met a dashing Irishman who had also been drawn to life in the Last Frontier. John Kelly shared the same twinkle in his eye and the two married in 1970. They lived in a tiny cabin in Anchorage and got the surprise of their lives that winter with the arrival of twins, Sean and Patrick. Frank came next, and then a second set of twins, Danny and Kevin. The timeline of this extraordinary feat of motherhood? Twenty-seven months!
John and Diane had their hands full with diapers, feedings, laundry - and somehow John managed to build a house for his wife and five boys. In 1975, the house that John built became Home. A castle for The Queen. Diane's door, and her heart, were always open. A haven for beagles, collies and the odd stray cat along with a gaggle of neighborhood kids, hosting clandestine basement hockey games, dinners with friends, holiday festivities and, of course, Burger Night every Saturday.
Finnish by blood, The Queen was Irish through and through. Through many trips back to the Old Sod with the whole family and later with friends, Diane fell in love with the land and its people. She adored the Irish and their music and decked the halls for St. Patrick's Day like no other. She was never without her Barry's tea - even carrying it in her purse to make sure she could enjoy her favorite cuppa. Her connections in County Kerry run deep and there will be pints and whiskey raised in her honor for years to come.
Diane retired from teaching in 1999 but she always stayed busy, volunteering at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, watching her boys grow up and spending precious time with the grandkids, decorating the house for holidays - so much that she had a room devoted to storing the decorations. Each Christmas, Diane wrote a touching letter full of family news and sent it out to hundreds of loved ones. As a special gift to each of her boys and their families, she compiled more than 40 years of these letters and created a lasting record in her words.
Every two years since the '80s, Diane, John, and their teacher friends gathered in Reno to catch up and have a blast. Play the slots, pop up to the party room, grab an Awful Awful burger, hit the blackjack table, pop back up to the party room… and repeat. The Reno tradition has gone on so long now that the next generation has taken it up!
Diane loved to celebrate! Whether she was welcoming friends of friends for Burger Night, holidays with the family or passing on a shining compliment to a stranger, she took every chance to make others smile. Birthdays were never complete without Diane singing her special refrain "and many more… on Channel Four…" Birthdays for so many just won't seem right without it.
Diane was preceded in death by her beloved son, Patrick; sister, Laverne; parents, Frank and Lola; and cousin, Zoe. She is survived by her husband, John; son, Sean (Patrick's twin), wife Melissa, and twins Daisy and Kathleen; son, Frankie, wife Hayley, and children Owen, Quinn and Chelsea; son, Kevin and wife Carol, all of Anchorage; and son, Danny and wife Faith of Rio Rancho, N.M.
A memorial mass, officiated by Father Dan Hebert, will be held at 11 a.m., on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at St. Patrick's Parish, 2111 Muldoon Road in Anchorage. A reception will follow in the parish hall.
