Diane Elizabeth (White) Doyle passed away on January 13, 2026.

Diane was born on July 8, 1941 to Richard White and Sarah (Weart) White. Her father Richard worked as a civilian engineer for the Department of Defense; her mother Sarah was a homemaker and cared for Diane, and later for her brother Hugh and her sister Gretchen as well. The family spent Diane’s early years living in Glencarlyn, Virginia, then moved later to Arlington. Diane enjoyed family drives to the beach, going to high school dances, and listening to music by Nat King Cole. She graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington in 1958.

Diane opted to go further afield for college, attending Kalamazoo College in Michigan. While at K, she met her future husband Richard (Dick) Doyle at the campus library book sale over a copy of Winnie the Pooh. They progressed to dating, on one occasion attending the on-campus production of Pajama Game (and foreshadowing their lifelong interest as a couple in attending and supporting local theater). Diane graduated with a B.A. degree in Psychology in 1962 and worked full-time for a year (in addition to typing Dick’s senior papers) until Dick graduated the following spring.

Diane and Dick were married on August 31, 1963 and moved immediately to Chicago so Dick could attend the University of Chicago Law School. After Dick’s graduation in 1966, the couple moved to Greeley, Colorado, chosen not only for the opportunity for Dick to join a law practice there but because on a previous road trip, their car had broken down in Greeley and while waiting for it to be fixed, they decided it would be a good place to raise a family. The couple settled into their house on Mountair Lane (Dick building cabinets and Diane sewing curtains), and after Diane’s brief stint as a classroom aide at Sherwood Elementary School, they welcomed their first child, Heather, in 1968, followed by Sean in 1972.

Diane was a committed homemaker and mother, taking her children to story time and music lessons and soccer practice, leading their Bluebird and Cub Scout troops, and reading to them every night for many years. She and Dick also enjoyed hosting parties and picnics at their home, attending plays at the local Little Theatre of the Rockies, and watching Masterpiece Theatre programs on public television. As her kids grew, she also went to work again as a classroom aide.

In 1980 Diane returned to school to pursue a degree in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Taking a few classes at a time, and often staying up very late to type her papers, Diane skillfully balanced family and school responsibilities and earned her M.A. in 1982. She began her teaching career as a substitute teacher, filling in Greeley’s School District Six as well as other nearby districts, and then was hired in 1984 for her first classroom teaching position (4th grade) at Meeker Elementary. She taught in District Six for the next twenty-five years, briefly at Scott Elementary and for many years at Monfort Elementary. She taught 1st grade, 3rd grade and finally landed again in her beloved 4th grade, where she delighted in teaching her students about local and Colorado history, sharing her love of poetry and picture books and novels for young readers, and bringing in a variety of guest speakers.

After Dick’s death from cancer in 2001, Diane continued to teach. She also travelled to Ireland (a lifelong dream) and frequently to Oregon to visit son Sean and his family. Upon her retirement in 2006, she spent time volunteering in the community, focusing her efforts at First Christian Church, Northern Colorado Medical Center, Chappelow Elementary School, and at the Colorado State Capitol. The pandemic and her 2021 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease regrtably curtailed her activities and in 2023, Diane moved from Greeley to be near Sean’s family in Oregon and then later in California. After significant decline in the past year, she passed away on January 13, 2026.

Diane will be remembered for her love of antiques and Early Americana, for her belief that reading and books could change children’s lives, and for her generous spirit that brought cookies, meals, and Christmas soup to family, friends, neighbors and colleagues for many years. Diane is survived by her sister Gretchen White of Washington D.C., daughter Heather (Christopher) and granddaughter Molly of Denver, Colorado; her son Sean (Karen), grandson Jack and granddaughter Ciara of Los Angeles, California; and her sister-in-law Liz and niece Sarah of Corvallis, Oregon. She was preceded in death by her husband Dick, her parents and her brother Hugh. A Celebration of Life will be held at First Christian Church in Greeley on Saturday February 7, 2026 at 1:00p. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the NoCo Foundation (nocofoundation.org) or to the Weld Food Bank (weldfoodbank.org).