Diane Louise Tyler passed away last Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Robin Run Village in Indianapolis where she had been living for the last 8 years. She was 76 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents R. Donald Tyler and Doris M. Ostrander Tyler.
Diane was born in Camden New Jersey on May 2, 1946, shortly after WWII ended. Her father had been stationed in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Doris was not able to live with him at that top secret facility. Therefore, Doris moved back home to New Jersey to live with her parents where Diane was born. Don moved the family to Terre Haute, Indiana where he completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Rose Polytechnic Institute.
The family then moved to Speedway where Diane attended Speedway schools. In many respects Diane had a difficult life due to many physical problems. She was born with Cerebral Palsy that affected her appendages on her right side. However, she attempted to keep up with her peers in normal classes and to be accepted. One of her happiest experiences involved belonging to a Girl Scout Troop that made a trip to a Colorado dude ranch during her high school years. For her graduation as a Speedway Sparkplug in 1964, the family attended the Indianapolis 500 race. The following fall Diane attended Hanover College in southern Indiana on the Ohio River. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was later employed as a ward secretary on a psychiatric ward at Methodist Hospital. After earning a master’s degree in reading, she was frequently employed to score standardized tests for elementary students.
Diane loved to read and was rarely found without a book in her purse. She also developed an interest in cross-stitch and completed numerous embroidery pictures for gifts. She also traveled with her parents to visit her sister Donna in California and Texas and to visit her brother David in Holland and Switzerland.
Diane was proud of the fact that she was able to live independently in her own apartment. However, throughout her life Diane struggled with Cerebral Palsy, a seizure disorder, diabetes, extremely high blood pressure, dementia, indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and several broken bones. It was difficult to watch her physical and mental decline. She experienced anxiety and mental confusion as the quality of her life significantly diminished over the last six months. She will be remembered as someone with a strong personality which probably helped her to overcome many of her personal trials. Her life has had an impact on her sister Donna Thompson; her brother David Tyler; her three nieces Sunny Nelson, Kelsey Flake, and Brittany Needham; and one nephew Brian Tyler who survived her. We all wish her a well-deserved eternal peace.
I was lucky enough to get to know Diane well through Girl Scouts. She was kind enough to visit and encourage one of my young neighbors who had Cerebral Palsy. Ronnie loved to see Diane -- I still can remember how excited he got when I would tell him Diane was coming over.
Like with so many people, I'm sorry I didn't stay in better touch with her through the years.
Richard Hoerger
Diane Louise Tyler passed away last Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Robin Run Village in Indianapolis where she had been living for the last 8 years. She was 76 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents R. Donald Tyler and Doris M. Ostrander Tyler.
Diane was born in Camden New Jersey on May 2, 1946, shortly after WWII ended. Her father had been stationed in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Doris was not able to live with him at that top secret facility. Therefore, Doris moved back home to New Jersey to live with her parents where Diane was born. Don moved the family to Terre Haute, Indiana where he completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Rose Polytechnic Institute.
The family then moved to Speedway where Diane attended Speedway schools. In many respects Diane had a difficult life due to many physical problems. She was born with Cerebral Palsy that affected her appendages on her right side. However, she attempted to keep up with her peers in normal classes and to be accepted. One of her happiest experiences involved belonging to a Girl Scout Troop that made a trip to a Colorado dude ranch during her high school years. For her graduation as a Speedway Sparkplug in 1964, the family attended the Indianapolis 500 race. The following fall Diane attended Hanover College in southern Indiana on the Ohio River. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She was later employed as a ward secretary on a psychiatric ward at Methodist Hospital. After earning a master’s degree in reading, she was frequently employed to score standardized tests for elementary students.
Diane loved to read and was rarely found without a book in her purse. She also developed an interest in cross-stitch and completed numerous embroidery pictures for gifts. She also traveled with her parents to visit her sister Donna in California and Texas and to visit her brother David in Holland and Switzerland.
Diane was proud of the fact that she was able to live independently in her own apartment. However, throughout her life Diane struggled with Cerebral Palsy, a seizure disorder, diabetes, extremely high blood pressure, dementia, indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and several broken bones. It was difficult to watch her physical and mental decline. She experienced anxiety and mental confusion as the quality of her life significantly diminished over the last six months. She will be remembered as someone with a strong personality which probably helped her to overcome many of her personal trials. Her life has had an impact on her sister Donna Thompson; her brother David Tyler; her three nieces Sunny Nelson, Kelsey Flake, and Brittany Needham; and one nephew Brian Tyler who survived her. We all wish her a well-deserved eternal peace.
Mary Lyn Miller (Doyle)
I was lucky enough to get to know Diane well through Girl Scouts. She was kind enough to visit and encourage one of my young neighbors who had Cerebral Palsy. Ronnie loved to see Diane -- I still can remember how excited he got when I would tell him Diane was coming over.
Like with so many people, I'm sorry I didn't stay in better touch with her through the years.
Becky Hunter (Morris)
The Speedway Class of 1964 extends their sympathy to Diane's family.
Greg Mikkelsen (Mikkelsen)
Remember her vry eiil, Kind nice lady