Diane Costello

https://lawrencehumane.org/donate/Diane Costello (nee Dalin), born on August 8, 1949, passed away on April 20, 2024, in Leawood, Kansas, at the age of 74. She is survived by her loving children: Chris (Jenny), Annie (Mike), and Ryan (Aislinn), and cherished grandchildren: Claire, Kylan, Lucy, Rose, Leo, Max, and Sam.

 Preceding her in death were her husband of 41 years, Curtis, her parents Lucy and Robert Dalin, her brother Robert Dalin, and her in-laws, Arlo and Helen Costello and her beloved dogs Smokey, Killer, PeDe, Ellie, Daisy, and Chloe. Diane's absence will be profoundly felt by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

 A proud alumna of Shawnee Mission North, class of 1967, Diane led the SMN class of 1967 Reunion Committee for decades and she orchestrated numerous memorable reunions.  Diane dedicated her career to serving her Olathe community. Diane served on both the board of Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce board. From there Diane took on many roles at the Olathe Chamber, her last being Vice President of Public Affairs. Graduating from the Leadership Olathe program in 1989, she later became its nurturing figure, fondly known as "Mother Diane," leading the program well into the 2000s. Diane's work with the Kansas Leadership Center underscored her dedication to community progress. Diane's impact resonates across Olathe, evident in her volunteerism with political campaigns, the Olathe Public Library Board, the Mayor's Christmas Tree, and the Boys & Girls Club among other organizations.

 Diane had a great sense of humor and wrote the best holiday letters blending updates with witty jokes, poking fun at her family members. Even the dog was not immune. Diane loved a good prank. Once in retaliation for a newspaper ad congratulating her on her 50th birthday (she was only 39 at the time), she filled the prankster's car full of Styrofoam packing peanuts and called the local paper to come cover it. She was also known for leaving booby traps in her coworker's offices. In her retirement, she cherished spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.

 The family will be hosting a celebration of life at 2:00pm Saturday June 22 (location and details forthcoming). In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Lawrence Humane Society https://lawrencehumane.org/donate/ or Unleashed Pet Rescue https://www.unleashedrescue.com/donate/  in memory of Diane Costello.