Diane Irving Lassiter passed away on Saturday, May 21, 2011 at the age of 79. She was born in Boston, Mass., on Sept. 9, 1931. She is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, William Edmund Lassiter; her four children, William Lassiter, Susan Lassiter, David Lassiter and John Lassiter and wife Tina; and seven grandchildren. She was a loving caregiver and comforter, both to her family that she nurtured and raised and to those she cared for as a registered nurse.
She received her nursing degree from Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore in 1951 and worked as a registered nurse in Boston (where she met her husband) and at Gravely Sanatorium in Chapel Hill, N.C., for several years, before pausing her career to devote time to her family. After her youngest child was grown, she returned to nursing after completing a degree at WakeMed.
She worked for several years as staff development coordinator at Hillhaven Convalescent Center in Chapel Hill. After retiring from nursing, she continued to cultivate her love for reading, church activities, Meals on Wheels, travel, music and, especially, gardening.
A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Holy Family (200 Hayes Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517; (919) 942-3108) on Thursday, May 26, at 2 p.m. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, a contribution in her honor to a charitable organization of choice is suggested.
Walker’s Funeral Home is serving the Lassiter family.