Diane Jeanette McIntosh (née Wangman)

After a long illness, at Fox Hollow Retirement Residence in London, ON, we lost a kind, talented, lovely, and loving woman, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at the age of 87. Diane was the beloved wife of John Stuart McIntosh for 57 years. She was a loving mother to Kim Bloomfield (Andrew) and Kyle McIntosh (Jennifer), the adored Nana of Darian Bloomfield, and Natalie and Sydney McIntosh. Diane is survived by her sister, Susan Jadwin (Tom), and she is remembered fondly by her nieces and nephew, Cynthia Jadwin, Pamela Jadwin, Deb Lewis, and Nigel Marson.

Music was central to Diane’s life. She graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. She played the piano and organ, and taught private piano lessons for many years, sharing her life-long love of music with her students and her many friends. She was involved in church music as well, both as an organist and as a choir member.

Diane loved literature, theatre, and fine food. She celebrated life and faced it fearlessly, always with a smile on her face and a kind word for anyone fortunate enough to cross her path. She treasured her family and took special delight in her grandchildren. Her beloved family and friends will continue to cherish the memory of her joyful presence, a tremendous sense of humour, and unconditional love.

Warm thanks and much gratitude to the Fox Hollow Retirement Residence staff, where Diane was treated with care, respect, and kindness. Thank you also to the VON, who cared for and supported Diane in her last week.

Cremation has taken place. A small memorial service will be held for the immediate family at St. James Westminster, where John was organist and choir director for many years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Diane’s name to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, or the VON.

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS!

All my life I’ve been in love with words –

with the flavor, and sense, and power, and beauty of them.

Yet even the best of them are no match for our experience.

We make them into prose, and when we come to the end of that, we turn them into poetry.

And when our poetry will no longer carry our love, or fear, or adoration, we say,

“Let the musicians begin!”

And they do, and they set our words to melody.

Somebody said once that Bach gave us God’s Word,

Mozart gave us God’s laughter, Beethoven gave us God’s fire.

And God gave us music so that we could praise Him without words.

~ R. Maurice Boyd