Diana Joyner Obituary (1948 - 2023) - South Portland, Maine

South Portland- Diana K. Joyner, 74, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 23, 2023 at home surrounded by love and with family by her side after a seven month battle with brain cancer. Diana was born in Manchester, NH in September of 1948, the daughter of the late Leonel F. and Edith G. (Hache) Marcotte. Her family moved to Sanford, Maine, when she was 6 months old and she graduated from Sanford High School class of 1966. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics from the University of Maine Orono, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1970. On August 4, 1984 she married the love of her life, Robert Joyner, in Longmeadow, MA. Together they started a new and wonderful journey together. Diana spent twenty six years in the financial services industry retiring as Chief Operating Officer and First Vice President for Merrill Lynch Insurance Group. After retiring, Diana worked as a senior management consultant for several years. After leaving the corporate world, Diana returned to her home state and quickly transitioned into non-profit and volunteer work. It is here that she really flourished, combining her keen leadership skills along with her creativity. The joy of meeting new people, building lasting friendships and giving back to the community fueled both her mind and her heart. While living in Ogunquit for thirteen years she sat on the Board of Laudholm Trust in Wells and served as President of the Trust for four years. An art lover, Diana also volunteered extensively at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, serving on the Board of Directors, Finance Committee, and Executive Search Committee. Other community activities in Ogunquit include serving on various town committees and volunteering with Maine Healthy Beaches. Diana and Bob relocated to South Portland to be even closer to their children and grandchildren and more easily attend family events and activities. Again, she quickly built a new social network of neighbors and friends. Her desire to continue community service led to her most recent volunteer work with the League of Women Voters of Maine, 100+ Women Who Care and The Maine Locker Project. Enjoying a lifelong love of gardening, Diana obtained her Master Gardener designation from the University of Maine, York County in 2002. She went on to serve as a Director and Treasurer of the University of Maine York County Cooperative Extension service and as a Director of the York County Master Gardener Association for several years. She loved sharing this passion and knowledge with friends and family, creating a legacy of beautiful gardens especially showcasing native species. Together, she and Bob traveled to almost 70 countries exploring many diverse cultures and cuisines, landscapes, gardens and beautiful beaches. She loved cooking, theater, skiing, hiking, long walks on the beach and everything summers in Maine offered. Of course, all of these things were made sweeter when accompanied by her closest friends, neighbors and family. Diana’s greatest love was the time she and her husband spent with their children and grandchildren. She relished each and every opportunity to enjoy each other’s company whether hosting family barbecues, celebrating every birthday and holiday, picnics at the beach, sleepovers, and family vacations. She had great fun taking each grandchild individually to experience the joy of Disney World. Diana will be most remembered for her great sense of humor, infectious laugh, and overall fun loving spirit. Her heart was full and she was generous with her affection, friendship and most of all her love—whether you knew you needed it or not. She was always available to listen, provide support and offer thoughtful guidance. This was especially appreciated by her daughters as they both successfully navigated the challenges of advanced careers in medicine. She was beautiful, intelligent, loyal, compassionate, determined, inspiring, joyful, and always saw the good in others. She was love. Everyone who was touched by her life will miss her immensely, but we will carry her with us forever. Diana's family would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Drs. Lu-Emerson and Stumpf, Sam Gagnon and the entire team at MaineHealth Cancer Care along with Hospice of Southern Maine for their expertise and compassionate care. Diana is survived by her husband, Robert Joyner of South Portland; two daughters, Kristen and her husband, Zach Matzkin of Cape Elizabeth, and Tara K Pelletier. and her husband, Scott Morin of South Portland; four grandchildren, Zoe K. and Leo Matzkin of Cape Elizabeth, and Ben and Alex Morin of South Portland; a brother, Ronald and his wife Ruth Marcotte of Ft Myers, Fl; a sister, Susan and her husband, John Titus of Sanford; and several nieces and nephews. At the family’s request a celebration will be held this summer in mid-July. Arrangement details will be under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, ME. To view Diana’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com Those who wish may make contributions in Diana’s memory to The Maine Locker Project at P.O. Box 3134, Portland, ME 04104 or via their website www.Mainelockerproject.org