Dianna E. Diede

Dianna E. Diede was born May 20, 1949, in Tulsa, Okla., to William and Hildegard Connery. She died on Feb. 22, 2011, near her home at Navajo Lake. She attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Tulsa, where she was introduced to the study of piano, which began a lifelong passion for music. After moving to Albuquerque at the age of 14, Dianna continued to study music and performance at Manzano High School. While a freshman at St. Joseph's College, Dianna composed a High Mass that was performed on Easter Sunday at Kirtland Air Force Base. During this time she met and married Robert Steider with whom she had two daughters, Amy and Jennifer. In the early 1970s, they moved to Grand Forks, N.D., and later during this exciting decade moved to West Virginia. On January 3, 1977, Dianna married second husband, Loren Diede, and lived in Bridgeport, W.V. The family then moved to Farmington in 1978, where they had their third daughter,Dawna. Over the next three decades she played piano for the San Juan College Choir and the First Church of Christ Scientist. During this time she also served as the accompanist for the Bloomfield Middle and High School choirs, where she was much beloved by students. Over the years, Dianna took great pleasure in playing for and assisting in various high school, community and college musical productions. She imparted her love and talent for music to her daughters and many people in the community. While she formally retired from San Juan College in 2007, she continued to play for the First Church of Christ Scientist until her death. In 2008. Dianna and Loren moved to their dream home overlooking Navajo Lake, where she spent some of the happiest years of her life retired, enjoying the abundant wildlife, feeding the birds and the deer, and watching the sunset over the mountains. Dianna is survived by her husband of 33 years, Loren Diede. She is also survived by her three daughters, Amy and husband, Matt Bassinger of Aztec, and Amy's son, Richie Mead, Jennifer and husband, Thorin Nielson, and daughter, Quinlan of Portland, Ore., and Dawna and husband, Andrew Shroads, and daughters, Alex and Ella of Columbus, Ohio; in addition to her bonus daughter, niece Kate Hames of Ontario, Canada. Her siblings include sisters, Shelly Doescher of Navajo Lake, and Denise Peña of Clovis; brothers, Patrick Connery of Albuquerque, Paul Connery of Austin, Texas, and the now deceased Christopher Connery of Albuquerque. Please join us for music and memories at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home, 103 E. Ute St. in Farmington In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the San Juan College Choir. For information please contact Linda Edwards, Choir Director, at (505) 325-7232. Brewer, Lee & Larkin Funeral Home 103 East Ute Street Farmington, NM 87041 (505) 325-8688