Fairbury – Diana Lane, 66, of Fairbury Illinois, passed away at 5:32 p.m. Thursday, May 19th at Fairview Haven Retirement Community in Fairbury.

Diane Lea Thostensen was born March 30, 1945 to Thorborn and Alice Crane Thostensen in San Francisco, CA. Her father, a war hero, died in the battle of Iwo Jima He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, one of the highest-ranking medals given to any service member. One month after he was killed, Diana was born. She grew up in Mt. Prospect, IL with her mother, step father, Walter Kowal and brother Greg.

Diana returned to San Francisco for one year of undergraduate work. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and English at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. In 1968 she was named Philosophy Student of the Year. She was then a graduate assistant in Art History at Northern until 1970. She married Larry Lane on July 31st, 1976 in Dwight, Illinois.

After earning her teaching certificate, Diana taught for 23 years in six different Illinois cities: Moline, Nauvoo, Monmouth, Saybrook, Wilmington, Odell, Dwight, and Malta.

In 1986, Diana became a student again in Studio Arts at Illinois State University, Normal, IL. During that year, she was honored by being a part of the SHIVA International Exhibit at the Missouri Museum of Art in Kansas City.

In 1988, Diana entered St. Mary's Monastery as a postulant. She made her first profession in 1991 and left there in 1995. During that time, she taught at Seton Catholic School in Moline and St. Patrick's in Washington, IL. Her teaching was recognized in 1992 by Who's Who among American Teachers.

In 2004 she relocated to Fairbury, Illinois to be close to friends. Over the past five years, Diana was the Program Chairman, then Chairman of Heritage Corridor Community Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago. The group's mission is adult education in visual fine arts. Recently, she taught Adult Education fine art classes at the McLean County Art Center, in Bloomington, IL.

She was a passionate person who loved to teach, create, and learn. She had a remarkable agility with words, a tenacious hunger for learning, a voracious appetite for reading, a delightful sense of humor, and an "amazing," indomitable spirit. She loved God, her brother, family, friends and her two cats, Scout and Sweetie.

Diana's memorial service will be held June 2nd at 11:00 am at Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Mary Monastery, 2200 88th Avenue West, Rock Island, IL 61201-7649. A "Sharing Memories of Diana" service will be held at Fairview Haven, Fairbury on Wednesday, June 1st at 10:00 am. Her remains will be laid to rest near her father in Hanley Falls, Minnesota. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury has charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Diana's honor to the McLean County Art Center (Adult and Youth Education Classes), 601 N. East, Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 or Fairview Haven, 605 N. Fourth Street, Fairbury, IL 61739.

Guests may sign Diana's book by going to her Caringbridge page; Diana's Guestbook
or her online guest registry is available at www.duffypilsmemorialhome.com.