Diane Lee Elizabeth Brown Nagel
6/1/1941 - 12/4/2022
81 Years 6 Months 3 days
"FULL OF LOVE"

Our beloved mother, grammie, sister, aunt, and friend.
Following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
Passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family and has gone to be with the love of her life, Don Nagel, just prior to their anniversary on December 5,1959. They will be together "Happily Ever After," Don Nagel, husband of 54 plus years preceded her in 2014 to Eternal Rest.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Nell (Nee Lane) Brown; her in-laws, Frank and Sophie (Nee Bumber) Nagel; her beloved brother, Larry Brown; one brother-in-law, Frank Dymek; a nephew, Dave Dymek; step-grandson, Scott Seldomridge; and numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins.

Missing her Love, devotion and laughter she is survived by her daughter, Karen Nagel (Don Bell); one son, Steve Nagel (Stephanie Nagel);
a brother, Bill Brown (Donna Rea Brown); her sisters-in-law, Judy Brown, Shirley (Nagel) Dymek, and Virginia (Nagel) (Bob Lewis) Lewis;
her cherished grandchildren, Amanda Malone, Rhiannon Nagel, and Bailey Nagel; step-grandson, Eric Seldomridge;
great grandchildren, Jaxon Leohner, and Giovanni Nagel-Vallari; nieces, Dr. Donna (Brown) Voldan (Robert "Spark" Voldan), Doris (Brown) Roberts, Linda (Dymek) Ammons, Sandra (Greg)(Dymek) Petrovic, Tammy (Lewis) DeLisle, and Tina (Lewis) Cheplic (William "Bill" Cheplic); nephew, Rob Lewis; her cherished godchildren,Rob Lewis, Timothy Bumber, and Rhiannon Nagel; and multiple great nieces, great nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.

In her youth Diane enjoyed climbing trees, water sports, ice skating, volleyball, fishing, photography, music, line dancing, was an avid reader, and a Civil War History buff. Diane was bright and smart. She was always a trailblazer and a creative thinker with a quick wit and great sense of humor.
As a young girl, she took a job in Chicago as a data analyst before the age of computers.
Diane was honest, loving, forgiving and always supportive. A lifelong parishioner of St. Dennis Catholic Church, Lockport.
Diane was involved in the community and volunteered at the VFW due to her father's service in WWII.
Diane was a contributor to the I&M Canal Trail in Lockport Central Square, as well as the Illinois State Museum next to the old Texaco Refinery where her father had worked for many years after returning from the war. Diane's mother was also involved in the creation of the Lincoln Room and Memorial.

But most of all Diane was all about family! She was a hands-on full-time wife and mother busy with her children's activities in and out of school. She was a Brownie and Girl Scout Troop Leader, Band Booster member, and a devoted baseball mom. She enjoyed sewing, ceramics, and camping. Diane loved to bake cakes and decorate them for family and friend's celebrations. Her homemade fudge and caramels were a highly anticipated treat and gift for teachers. She baked the best chocolate-chip cookies!

Diane took the lead in planning family vacations to Perham Minnesota. While on vacations boating, fishing and water skiing was enjoyed by all. As well as the $1.00 buck nights at the drive-in movie theater are memories that will always be treasured.
She brought her family everywhere and kept them close; trips included camping and outdoor nature trips to Tomahawk Wisconsin in both summer and winter. Winter trips were snowmobile adventures coursing through the snow fields over frozen lakes with pit stops along the way to warm up and enjoy some billiards.

The family always drove by car, making sight-seeing stops along the way across the Great America that she loved! Trips ranged from Indian Reservations with white buffalo, totem poles and steppingstone river pathways on the Great Mississippi. She would read about things to see that lead the family in new directions from watching the black bears at the dumps, visiting the Loon Park to observe all the migrations, Big Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, picking oranges from the groves along the drive through Florida, Disneyworld, history of the Presidents in Washington D.C., the Capital and Lincoln Memorial, Gettysburg, Richmond Virginia Confederacy, Manassas, Fredericksburg. Appomattox where General Lee surrendered, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Lee House. Closer to home she liked the Keep-A Taw Days Parade, Chicago Macys at Christmas time to see the big tree, and Christkindl Fest Market to collect handmade ornaments, Chinatown for egg rolls, the McCormack Center to watch the Ice Capades and she was once a Performer at Lockport Canal Days.

After her children were grown, Diane attended college in her 40's and joined the workforce. She worked for Equifax which became Choice Point and earned the Office Manager of the Year Award. After 25 years of dedicated service Diane retired.

She and Don traveled to Florida to be with family and to spend time with her grandchildren making lifelong memories to be treasured with love forevermore. She loved taking them to the Zoo and all Disney theme parks. She was inspiring and supportive to their accomplishments and extremely proud of each one of them!

A Celebration of Love Memorial Visitation will be held at O'Neil Funeral Home 1105 E. 9th St. Lockport, IL 60441 on Saturday, June 24, 2023, from 11:00am until 3:00pm.

Diane's genuine fun-loving character and dedication to family and friends will be cherished and honored. In dignity, peace, joy and love may she rest with her true love Don "Happily Ever After".
Per Diane's and Don's request their ashes will be spread over Big Pine Lake by their children and closest family.