To play piano is a significant part of my life, my existence.
It fulfills a very physical and spiritual need for me.
Michel Legrand
Diane loved music, especially that which came from a piano. She was taught at a young age to appreciate music and flourished with these talents in her late teens, early twenties. She went on to complete Grade Two Theory and Grade Eight Piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto. The piano was a staple in her home over the years and she spent countless hours entertaining herself and others with her talents. She loved playing hymns and a couple of her favourites were “Nearer Still Nearer” and “Just As I Am.” Her gift of music will live on in the lives of those she touched for years to come.
Diane Isabelle was born in Hamilton, Ontario on Monday, December 14, 1942 to parents Ada (Povelofskie) and James “Jim” MacDonald. She was the eldest of eight, with younger siblings Dale, Doreen, Don, Caroline, Roger, Gerald and Fred following her. Their Hamilton home was full of music, especially the den (a.k.a The Music Room) with each child attempting to perfect a different instrument. Diane attended Cecil B. Sterling Elementary School before moving on to Park Hill Secondary School, both in Hamilton. Following high school Diane turned her attention to further perfecting her piano talents as well as completing a further bookkeeping course. She soon began working for General Concrete in Hamilton as a bookkeeper.
Diane’s grandparents, the Povelofskie’s, lived in Sullivan Township and she met Donald Gordon Klages at a young age. Over the years, their relationship grew and flourished. The two had their first date on July 3, 1965 and were soon married on October 22, 1966 in Hamilton before heading off on an action packed honeymoon. The couple started in Niagara Falls and continued to cover seven US states and seven significant US landmarks, including the White House, before returning to her new home in Sullivan Township. At this time Don’s work soon took him to Manitoulin Island. Due to the large number of woodworking factories as this time it wasn’t uncommon for companies to head to Manitoulin looking for more wood. The young couple left for the Island on July 9, 1967 and soon called Big Lake their new home. After being raised in the city, Diane made the transition to country living seem seamless.
The young couple soon welcomed Martin (1967), Anna Marie (1972) and Glenn (1973). In addition to caring for her children Diane began using her bookkeeping background again. Don soon started his own sawmill and provided hardwood to many of the local woodworking factories in Grey Bruce. Diane worked behind the scenes with the finances. Don was away from home, with work, a lot and Diane took on many additional responsibilities at home as well. She enjoyed her goats, providing the family with milk, and was responsible for the countless chickens the family raised (and killed) over the years. Often times Don would not be able to help at slaughter time, leaving Diane with this task on her own. We were not just talking about a few chickens either, on one occasion they had upwards of 500 chickens. Diane was well known for her baking (especially her butter tarts, pies and bread) and often sold these items at the local summer market. She loved gardening, which later turned into a 2+ acre strawberry patch at their current home. Their garden while on the Island was quite interesting. Manitoulin Island has minimal topsoil and as luck would have it one year some of their produce started growing from within their sawdust pile. So, the family soon used the sawdust from hardwood trees, to expand their gardens. Much of their garden harvests were often canned, by the hands of Diane of course, and were enjoyed by the family later in the year. When it came to food however Diane did have some favourites, which included Chinese food, fish and chips and of course Heinz Ketchup. No meal was complete without a little ketchup!
In 1992, Diane and Don returned to the Klages family farm outside of Desboro. Here, they were closer to their family, old friends and resumed their ways of life. In her spare time, when not on her piano, Diane enjoyed reading, with Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairies being favourites. She enjoyed travelling with trips to Florida, England, Scotland and of course West, to visit many friends and family over the years. She was well known for being very organized and always very calm.
Through her recent health struggles Diane relied heavily on her faith, family and friends. She was ever grateful for all of these relationships leaving us with many memories which will live on in the hearts and minds forever.
Sadly, Diane passed away after a courageous battle with cancer surrounded by her loving family at Grey Bruce Health Services, Southampton on Monday, May 29, 2017 in her 75th year.
Beloved wife of Don. Loving mother of Martin (Annamaria Nagy) of Vancouver, Anna Marie Klages and Glenn Klages, both of Guelph. Cherished grandmother of Raymond (Joanna), Nathan, Alanna (Scott), Alex, Alicia and great-grandmother of Nicholas. Diane will be sadly missed by her mother Ada Cowan of Vineland and her siblings, Dale (Faye) MacDonald, Doreen (Klaus) Lutscher, Don (Tatianna) MacDonald, Caroline Kluen, Roger (Joyce) MacDonald, Gerald MacDonald and Fred (Debbie) MacDonald as well as Don’s siblings Wayne (Linnet), Sylvia, Sid (Jo-Anne), sister-in-law Vida (Keith) and their families. She will be sadly missed by her former daughter-in-law Beverley Karn. Diane was predeceased by brothers-in-law Henry Kluen, Dean Klages and father Jim MacDonald.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. where a funeral service celebrating Diane’s life will be held on Friday, June 2, 2017 at 2 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment in Chesley Cemetery.
Memorial donations to the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation or Chapman House would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
